It's Just a Game
by MidnightStriker
Summary: London shows Maddie her new Virtual Reality system. What happens when London forgets where the "off" button is? Uh-oh... AU-ish, "Londie" or London/Maddie
1. Level 1: Into the VR

_**MidnightStriker's Words:**__ Hey everybody! This is my first "Suite Life" fanfiction, starring London Tipton and Maddie Fitzpatrick. Who doesn't love 'em together? If anyone finds this offensive, I suggest you leave now. I do not really appreciate flamers._

**Level 1: Enter the VR**

Maddie Fitzpatrick glanced up as someone approached the candy counter. She was hoping it was a customer, but that hope was dashed when she saw pink. It was London Tipton, the heiress of the hotel she was working in. "Hey there, London," she said warily, mentally preparing herself for another round of badgering. "Hey Maddie! Why the long face? You should really be happy I'm here!" she said perkily. Maddie rolled her eyes, that was easy for someone with a really high self-esteem to say.

"Listen, I'm gonna ask Mr. Moseby to let you off your shift today 'cause I've got something really fun to show you!" London said, grabbing Maddie's wrist and jerking her away from the counter. "Uh, London, didn't it ever occur to you that my arm is attached to my body which is being blocked by this candy counter?" Maddie said.

"Oh, right! Haha!" London said sheepishly, waiting for Maddie to go around the counter. "Come on! I can't wait to show you what I've got! I've wanted it for ages!" "That's hard to believe," Maddie mumbled under her breath as London led her to Mr. Moseby.

"Mr. Moseby, can Nia take over Maddie's shift? I want to show her something up in my suite." London said. "How long does she plan to be up there in your suite?" Mr. Moseby asked warily, remembering the time Nia almost spilled the jellybeans and gumballs in Maddie's absence. "Considering what I'm going to show her, maybe a minute or B?" London said. Both Maddie and Mr. Moseby sighed, London was still as dimwitted as ever. "Don't you mean a 'minute or two', London?" Maddie offered.

"Stay out of this, Maddie! Or I won't show you what I've got." London pouted. "OK, Sorry!" Maddie said, putting her hand up in defeat. "So can we go now Mr. Moseby?" London begged. "Alright, fine." Mr. Moseby sighed. London "eeped" in delight and quickly dragged Maddie to the elevator.

London opened the door to her suite and Maddie gasped. "Did this get bigger since I last saw it?" she exclaimed. "Well, kinda. I had Arwin make me a game room!" London said. "A game room? I didn't know you were into games." Maddie said. "Lately, yeah, I was. Kinda." London shrugged. "Hey, are we going to stand here all day? What I want to show you is in the game room!"

Maddie followed her perky friend to the game room and almost fainted with what she saw. It was a Virtual Reality system! "Cool!" Maddie exclaimed. "We're going to play against each other in VR? What game is this?!" "We're not fighting, 'k? It's more of a co-op mode. Less talking, more trying!" London said. Maddie nodded and they eagerly slipped on the helmets.

In a flash, they were both situated on a grassy green plain. London glanced at her dress, and realized that she was holding a rapier and a circle of gold was around her head. "Yay me!" she clapped. "I'm a Lord Class! How about you, Maddie? What you become?" London began searching for her friend. "Over here, London!" Maddie called, trotting over on a horse. She was dressed in light turquoise riding armor, and she was holding a lance. At her horse's side was a sword.

"Hey, how come you get a horse?" London pouted. "And that is the blandest of attires I've ever seen!" she said, noting the lack of robes Maddie procured. "What class is that?" "I think it's what they call 'Cavalier'." Maddie said. "Cave—what? Like the thing I like to eat? Caviar?" London pondered. Maddie sighed again. "Anyway, let's get going, shall we?"

"OK! Oh well, even if I didn't get a horsie, at least my sword looks pointier than yours! And look at the handle, it's gold! Not like your rusty stick." London said with distaste. "It's not a stick, it's a LANCE." Maddie emphasized. "Whatever. Big words make my head hurt." London replied. "Oh look! There's a castle!"

Maddie followed London's finger and sure enough, a castle loomed in front of them. "Wow," she breathed. "Let's see what's in it!!" London said excitedly, running full speed ahead. "London! Wait for me!" Maddie said, urging her horse to a trot.

As they approached the moat, they realized disappointedly that there was no drawbridge. "Hey! Is anyone up there?!" London yelled. "Who goes there?!" a guard called as he peered over the wall. "It's me! London!" London replied. "Shush, London! What if this is an enemy castle?" Maddie hissed. Before London could reply, another guard looked over the wall and said to his companion, "You idiot! That's Lady London and her cavalier Madeline! Lower the drawbridge!"

"Yay me! Even in the VR I'm richer than you, Maddie!" London said as she gaily traipsed down the drawbridge. Maddie followed London with a heavy heart. "Hey guardie, tell me again, what castle is this?" London said, asking the guard nearest to her. "This is the Tipton Castle, my lady. And the Queen Mother wants to see you. She has grave news."

London and Maddie glanced at each other and Maddie whispered, "What's your mother doing here? She's not playing the VR with us, right?" "Yeah," London affirmed. "I locked my suite door." "Oh well, let's just go see what she has to say." Maddie replied. "Shush, Maddie! This is MY castle, you are MY vassal, and you'll listen to ME." London said. "Whatever." Maddie sighed.

_End notes:_ _Tipton Castle? Even unto the VR the Tipton name follows London. Boy Arwin sure is good at making VR's. And what happened to our favorite twins? Anyway, stay tuned until the next chapter! Reviews and readers are much appreciated!_


	2. Level 2: Entrusted

_**MS Word:**__ Hello again, everybody! I hope you enjoyed the first part of "It's just a game". Several Suite Life characters will make an appearance here, but I won't spoil you with my yap. On with the story!_

**Level 2: Entrusted**

London and Maddie followed the guards to the Royal Chambers to meet the Queen Mother. London squealed in surprise and hugged her mom. "Wow mom, you feel real even in the VR!"

The Queen Mother untangled herself from London. "London, you should start acting more like a young woman of noble birth! With your wild ways, I'm afraid to even present you to the other marquises of the land!" she shook her head. "She even sounds like my Mom," London whispered to Maddie. "But that's not what I called you for." Queen Mother said. "I have grave news, London. Do you remember the revolution your father went to suppress?"

"No," London said, eyes wide. "He went somewhere?"

Maddie smacked London's head. "Use your head, nitwit! For once, remember…"

Suddenly the guards near the Queen crossed their lances protectively across London, separating her from Maddie. "Cavalier Madeline! Remember your place! You may have been raised alongside the princess, but that does not give you the right to beat her up like a commoner or talk to her like a peasant! Have you forgotten your duty to protect her?" the captain said. "Must we strip you of your position?!"

"Puh-puh-protect?!" Maddie stuttered, surprised. "Raised…alongside 'Princess London'?!"

"Hey, I like this game." London grinned.

The Queen Mother cleared her throat for London and Maddie's attention. "As I was saying, your father disappeared after that crusade. I want you to search for him with the last of our soldiers, since he took most of them with him." "Oooh! I can't wait!" London said. "Wait, did you say daddy disappeared?"

"Apparently, m'lady, he's been kidnapped." A knight said, emerging from the shadows. "Ah, Sir Moseby." The Queen Mother greeted. "What brings you here?" "I found this rascal trying to steal some food from the kitchens." Sir Moseby said, lifting up a wriggling bundle of energy. "Let me go, Mis'er Moseby! I promise I didn't do it!" the young man said, his blond hair falling around his panicked eyes. "Zack!? What are you doing here?!" London said, surprised.

"It seems to me that you know this little thief." Sir Moseby said. "Yeah, don't you, Mr. Moseby?" London said, shocked. "I have never met him." Sir Moseby answered. "Can he come with us, mom? Pleeeease?" London said, referring to Zack. "_May, _London. _May he _. And yes, if you think he can help you search for your father, why not?" Queen Mother said. "I can use knives, pick locks and steal treasure for you." Zack offered. "Perfect! Treasure!" London clapped her hands gleefully.

Maddie was about to tap London when a guard slapped her hand. "How dare you reach out for the princess concerning what you did while ago?" Hearing the ruckus behind her, London turned around and saw Maddie blocked by the "sticks". "Hey! Let her go!" London said, pushing the guards away and hugging Maddie protectively. "She may be poor, but she's my caviar!" "Cavalier," Maddie whisperingly corrected London. "Whatever, you must protect me, right?" London said. "I think so," Maddie replied. "That seems to be my job in this game as Player 2."

"Game?!" the Queen Mother said, rising from her throne. "You think looking for King Tipton is a game, young lady? His life is on the line and the kingdom depends on him! Do you take serious matter lightly and think this is just a 'game'?!"

"Uh…London, I think this is getting _too_ real for comfort." Maddie said. "What you say we turn it off for a while? I think the"_real"_ Mr. Moseby is looking for me now." "Good idea," London said, then suddenly stopped. "Uh…how do you turn off a VR?"

"Why am I supposed to know?! Isn't this your game?" Maddie asked, starting to panic.

"'Cause you're the smart one." London answered.

Before they could argue any further, the Queen Mother cleared her throat again. "London, my daughter, when can you start your journey?" "Uh…tomorrow?" London squeaked. "Alright, then. Have a good night's rest." Her mother replied. "It's getting late."

The guards escorted London to one of the spacious rooms of the castle as Maddie stared in disbelief. "How about me?" she asked on guard. "What about you?" he countered. "Aren't I sleeping there?" Maddie replied. "Do you forget your position, soldier? Just because the princess picked you up from the stables doesn't grant you in the same position as her. To the barracks, on the double! You will accompany the princess on this errand!"

Maddie gritted her teeth and stomped off towards the barracks.

_End notes: Awww…poor Maddie! Anyway, what happens now that London forgets where the "Off" switch was? Will they survive the crusade with only Zack the thief at their side? What about the newly knighted Sir Moseby? Stay tuned!_

_Thanks to Lodylodylody for the first review! 'til next time!_


	3. Level 3: Commence!

_****_

MS Words: _So the journey begins! Do London and Maddie have what it takes to get back King Tipton? And what's all this talk about a secret uprising?_

**Level 3: Commence!**

Maddie tried to push away the persistent object prodding her. "5 more minutes, mom." She begged. The prodding intensified, which bugged Maddie even more. "I said, 5 more minutes!" she yelled, sitting up. But when she opened her sleepy eyes, it was "Sir Moseby" who was in front of her.

"Mr. Moseby?!" she said, shocked. "Do remember that I am not your mother, Madeline. Get ready, the Queen Mother has sent for you." Sir Moseby said.

_Can you even fall asleep and change your clothes in this VR? _Maddie grumbled as she put her armor back on and hurried to find her horse.

She entered the stable and heard the horses softly whinnying to each other. _Wonder where my horse is,_ she thought.

"Hey there, Maddie! Long time no see!" a voice called. A lean figure approached her. "Are you looking for your horse?" Maddie scrutinized the figure in front of her and finally recognized who it was.

"Arwin?" she called. "Arwin! There you are! London and I want to quit the VR for a while and we're wondering how to turn it off!"

"What do you mean 'VR'?" Arwin asked quizzically. "I'm only a stableboy here, maybe VR is some kind of secret code?"

_E__ven Arwin's virtua-fied, _Maddie groaned. "Oh, look, never mind I said that. Just help me find my horse."

A few minutes later, Maddie trotted over to the castle and was granted entry to the throne room. "Good Morning Maddie!" London said, all chipper. "Are you ready to go?" "London, I found Arwin," Maddie said. "Who's Arwin?" Zack asked, emerging from the shadows. "Gah! Don't scare me like that, Zack!" Maddie scolded him. "Well, he's…he's a stableboy. Technically, stable 'man' but that sounds weird."

"Enough babbling, Maddie, what did he say? Did he tell you how to turn this thing off?" London said. "Well, he did say…" "Oops, I take that back. I think I want to stay in this world a bit longer." London grinned. "Isn't it fun? There are knights and castles and magic!"

"OK…you're the boss." Maddie shook her head.

"Princess, you are needed in the intelligence hall." A sentinel approached them. "The Queen Mother will give you a short overview of your mission." "Great!" London chirped. "I can't wait to see how our adventure will finally start!" She rushed after the sentinel followed by Maddie and Zack.

"So that's Princess London," Zack said dreamily. "I've been coming here every day for a chance to see her."

"Why? Where has she been all this time?" Maddie asked him.

The blond thief eyed her quizzically. "Uh, what do you mean 'she'? You've been with her on every mission, right?" "

I have?" Maddie quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah. I can remember your name if you want me to." Zack smirked mockingly.

"Argh! Just shut it, Zack!" Maddie said, shaking her head. "You drive me crazy!"

"Hurry up, you two." Sir Moseby said when they reached the intelligence hall. "You wouldn't want to keep the royal family waiting."

Maddie and Zack pushed opened the heavy wooden doors. London, Queen Mother and the royal intelligence officer were at the center of the room, leaning over what seemed to be a diorama. The tardy two approached them and took their place.

"So glad you can join us," the Queen said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You kept us waiting." "I'm sure," Zack rolled his eyes. "Ahem," the Queen mother cleared her throat for their attention. "We're ready to begin now, sir."

The intelligence officer leaned over the diorama. "Princess London, your father was last seen in Sienne, with Lord Aaron. They were discussing about the instability of the alliance and stopping the unrest of their citizens. The unrest was apparently caused by rumors of a rebellion by marquis Beyer, Lord Bryan. Our spies report the king left Castle Sienne after four days heading to Beyer, but after that, the trail went cold." "

Why is there an uprising?" London asked. "We're not sure, your highness. Our spy network only reported of the infamous Black Ace, the band of thieves, pulls Lord Bryan's strings from the shadows."

"Are you taking that down, Maddie?" London asked.

"Yes I am, _your highness_." Maddie replied flatly. "I took in every word."

"Good, be a dear or else I'm going to send you to the gallows." London grinned.

"Not likely." Maddie countered, "If I get KO'd in this game, then who's going to help you get back?" "Then I'll KO myself too." London grinned. Suddenly they met each other's gaze. What if they tried getting a game over? Would that get them out?

"If I'm thinking you're trying to get a 'game over'," the intelligence officer said, as if reading their thoughts, "I wouldn't recommend it. Killing yourselves is, well, absurd! I hope you're not thinking..."

"IT'S JUST A GAME!" Maddie yelled, completing the officer's thoughts. "This is _VIRTUAL _reality!"

"Calm yourself, Madeline!" Sir Moseby said, forcing her back to her chair. "The Queen has explained to you time and again this is not a game!"

"Indeed, what makes you think this is a game, cavalier?" the officer asked.

Maddie fell silent, and said, "Well, I guess even if I told you what I think you wouldn't believe us."

"Would you rather we send a more capable cavalier along with the princess?" the officer asked the Queen. B

efore she could answer, London spoke, "I don't want Maddie to be replaced, mom. She'll be fine." The Queen glanced warily at her headstrong daughter. Finally, she relented, and with a heavy sigh announced, "Very well, take Madeline with you."

"Yay me!" London said, clapping her hands. "OK, let's get going to Sienne!"

* * *


	4. Level 4: The other Half

**Level 4: The other half**

London stretched as they left the castle. "So," she said, turning to a castle guard, "where's the limo?" "'Limo', princess?" he asked, obviously confused. "What's a limo?" Maddie rolled her eyes and pushed London away. "Sorry, she means 'echo'!" Maddie grinned.

When they were out of hearing distance from the guard, Maddie said, "Don't forget we're like only in the 5th century! There are no limos!" "Oh!" London said, eyes wide, "OK, so what century will it arrive? I hope around 6th-thirty century." Maddie groaned. "If you get tired, just hop up behind me on my horse. I think that will help, even a bit." "Thanks Maddie," London smiled, "you're the best!" Maddie's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as she saddled her steed. "By the way," Maddie called as she urged her horse to a trot, "London, don't you have a feeling we forgot something…?"

"Nope!" London said cheerfully, "Even if we did, there's always a store to replace anything we forgot."

"I sure hope so…" Maddie said reluctantly.

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"Idiocy, stupidity, and they left recklessly!" Sir Moseby groaned, walking towards the Royal Hall. He spouted out this string of exclamations since a servant girl cleaning London's chamber discovered that the princess left her rapier. Delivering the item to Sir Moseby, it dawned on the seasoned knight that his liege was now—weaponless. The rapier wasn't the only thing they left, though.

"Hey!" a voice startled Sir Moseby. The knight stopped in his tracks and swung his lance around, threatening, "Show yourself or I'll thrust this lance!" "Easy, Mis'er Moseby, it's me, Zack!" the thief emerged from the shadows and skipped over to Sir Moseby. "What are you doing here, you young imp?" Sir Moseby demanded. "Uh…I fell asleep in the middle of the war conference and when I woke up, those two girls were gone." Zack explained. "So, I was wondering, are you gonna catch up with them?" "What are you getting at?" Sir Moseby replied. "If you're gonna deliver that rapier to the princess, may I come with you?" Zack continued.

"Preposterous! What am I going to do with a rogue like you?" Sir Moseby said, slowing his pace so the blond thief could catch up. "I can sneak up behind enemies in battle and steal some stuff and money for you," Zack grinned, confident in his skills. Sir Moseby pondered a moment; countryside bandits made it difficult to travel solo nowadays, so he could probably use all the help he can get.

Finally, he nods. "I'll ask the Queen Mother if you may accompany me on this mission." "Yeah!" Zack hooted. Sir Moseby shook his head, what has he gotten into…?

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Maddie and London stopped at a small town bordering Sienne. "I'm tired," London announced as she plopped on the ground. "All we've done is walk." London pouted, swatting at a fly. "I'm all dirty and sweaty now."

Suddenly Maddie felt bad for not offering London to ride behind her on her horse. After all, the young princess wasn't used to walking, either in this world or the real one. Before she could open her mouth to reply, a young boy ran out of the inn looking quite frazzled.

"Hey, it's Zack!" London announced. She waved her hands signaling the young boy to come over. "ZAAAAACK!" she called out, "How did you get here so fast and have time to change your clothes?" The boy approached them with a puzzled look in his face. "I didn't change my clothes," he spoke as he got within hearing distance. "I've been sleeping in them in over a week."

London wrinkled her nose and Maddie finally came to a realization. "This isn't Zack, London!" she exclaimed, "It's Cody!" "Same difference, right?" London shrugged. "How did you know my name? And did you say 'Zack'?" the blond boy asked, excited. "Did you meet my brother?" "Yeah, he's with us here right now," Maddie said, turning her head around to look for the other twin. "Zaaack! We found Cody!"

After a moment or two of silence, Maddie blushed as she realized that it was Zack they've left in the castle. "Oh, uhm, I think he'll catch up in a while," Maddie mumbled, embarrassed. "It's OK, you guys look like trustworthy people," Cody said cheerfully. "That brother of mine will catch up, no doubt about it." "So what are you doing so far from your brother?" London asked.

"Well," Cody said, twirling a lock of his hair, "we were looking for our mother. We're a traveling troupe, she's a singer, I'm a magician and Zack...collects our payment. But the other day she was captured by bandits so Zack and I agreed to split up and look for her. I received a tip she may be in Sienne, so I was looking for help with the local townspeople 'cause they marquess there has a full cavalry unit. A single mage like me doesn't have a chance against them."

London and Maddie nodded, and Maddie said confidently, "We'll help you find Carrie, don't worry!" "Wow!" Cody said, amazed, "you even know our Mom's name! Maybe you're family friends she never told us about!" "Eh…yeah, sure, something like that," Maddie grinned. "In any case, we're headed to Sienne too. I think we can reach there by this afternoon if we have an hour of rest or something."

_**Later that afternoon:**_

"Are you ready to go, guys?" Maddie asked, saddling her horse once again. "I sure am!" Cody replied. "Do I have to walk?" London whined. Maddie smiled at her friend and offered her hand. "What?" London said, scrutinizing the palm, "there's no money in it. Or jewelry. Or any other precious stone. Besides, your hand's kinda rough."

Maddie rolled her eyes. "I was offering you to ride behind me on the horse so you wouldn't walk." The blonde cavalier emphasized the obvious lest London missed the whole point—again. "Oh! Why didn't you say so!" she replied cheerfully. "Well, up I go!"

London tried swinging a foot on the stirrup but her robes tangled on her boot and she slipped. "OW!" she cried. "London! Are you OK?" Maddie and Cody asked in unison, with Maddie jumping off her horse and helping her friend to her feet. "I think I got a booboo." London whined. "On your butt? Don't expect me to kiss it down there to make you feel better." Maddie sighed. "But you can walk, right? No twisted ankle or anything?"

London blushed when she heard Maddie's first sentence, and was thankful for her hair to hide the deepening crimson on her cheeks. Despite that, she was able to nod. "Good. Come on, I'm going to help you up." Maddie went on. "Cody, give me a hand here." She ordered.

With Cody's help, Maddie finally got London on the saddle. "OK, I deem it we officially can leave now?" Maddie asked London. The raven-haired beauty nodded. "But if this horsie trots, were do I hold on to?" Maddie glanced at London over her shoulder, "The answer would be—me."

_**End notes:**__ Developing, budding and blooming! Will Moseby be able to catch up on these three troublemakers? Or will they end up as ill-fated young people? Stay tuned! Thanks to all the readers and reviewers! _


	5. Level 5: Cooperation

_**MidnightStriker:**__ So far, so good! I hope you enjoy this next installment of "It's Just a Game"! _

**Level 5: Cooperation**

"Alright…" London replied, albeit uneasily. "You sure those reins aren't extendable?"

Maddie smiled a bit. "You know what, London? You make me laugh—sometimes." "Ha-ha…" London forced a laugh. "OK, so…how do I hold on to you? Do I…grab your hair or something?" "London! Haven't you gone horseback riding before?" "Not with another person on it." London replied.

"You just encircle your arms around my waist and hang on tight; like you're hugging me." Maddie explained. "HUG?!" London gasped. Maddie nodded, ignoring the London's knee-jerk reaction as she leaned over and called to the mage. "Cody, you OK down there?" "Yep!" came the reply, "don't worry, I'm used to walking!"

"That's a relief," Maddie said under her breath. "I don't think I can occupy another rider."

Following Maddie's instructions, London encircled her arms around Maddie's slim waist, her arms coming to rest on the cavalier's flat stomach. "…" London blushed again, thankful Maddie wasn't turning back. London leaned her head on Maddie's back and was pleased to find it warm. And her long blonde locks smelled like fresh flowers, much to London's surprise. _Oh no…_ the heiress thought, _I don't think…I'm falling for Maddie? Impossible, she's as straight as a dang arrow…and so am I. _

London began turning these thoughts over her head, but quickly shrugged it off. _She's a good…friend. Nothing more, nothing less._ Consoling herself, she just satisfied herself being able to be this close to her cavalier. _My cavalier…I like the sound of that._ London thought as Maddie kicked the horse to start it off to a trot.

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Sir Moseby sighed as he stopped to take a drink from his waterskin. "Slow down, you young rascal! I have armor, unlike you." He snapped. Zack paused from his spirited walk to wait for the bulky knight to catch up. "Eh, Sir Moseby, are we there yet?"

Sir Moseby rolled his eyes. "Ask me that one more time and I swear I'll strangle your neck!" "You wouldn't dare." Zack taunted. "What makes you think I won't?" Sir Moseby growled. Zack held up a fat purse in his left hand. "'cause before you can lay a hand on me, I'll be off, with all your war funds in hand. Not to mention London's rapier." The thief replied, producing the rapier with his free hand.

Sir Moseby's eyes widened. "How did you…when did you…why would you…?!" he stuttered, too stunned at the thief's ability. This youngster was indeed quite seasoned. "OK, fine!" Sir Moseby said, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You win!" "I know you'd see things my way." Zack grinned, returning the items.

"Considering London's laziness, they couldn't have arrived in Sienne yet," Sir Moseby surmised, returning to the situation at hand. Zack shrugged and replied, "I guess so, they'd need all the help they can get."

Sir Moseby was right, since they arrived in Sienne and London's troupe was nowhere in sight. Sir Moseby and Zack sighed as they sank wearily under a tree to catch their breath as they waited for London to arrive. "So," gasped Zack, when do you think they'll reach here?" "I don't know," Sir Moseby replied. "We'll just have to wait and see."

The duo quickly fell asleep as a cooling breeze fanned across the plains and lulled them to dreamland.

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"I see the silhouette of Sienne," Cody announced, shielding his eyes from the late afternoon sun. "We'll be there soon!" "Finally!" Maddie rejoiced, "I hope they have an inn." "Is that our welcoming committee?" London asked, pointing at a line of men blocking the entrance to the city. "I didn't think I'm that famous!" Simultaneously, Maddie and Cody's eyes turned towards the direction of London's finger.

The ragged, burly men counted around 8, and they were wearing bandannas on their heads and had sharp axes on their hands. Their long, unkempt hair matched their smelly, dirty bodies. These showed the men to have not been around a shower for quite some time.

"London!" Cody said anxiously, "those men aren't a 'welcoming committee', they're bandits!" "Bandits? Hope they can play good music!" London said excitedly, clapping their hands.

"Hey, miss!" the leader said, approaching the trio, "ya gotta pay sumthin' calla' 'entrance fee'. By the looks o' it, looks like yer employer can handle the fee pretty well." The leader of the bandits gave London an interested eye, noting her fine robes and the circlet of gold upon her head.

"I don't think so," Maddie smirked, "not without a fight!"

Maddie readied her lance in one hand. She was about to thrust it forward until Cody grabbed her wrist. "Maddie, didn't you remember anything in your lessons?" he asked. "Huh? What do you mean?" Maddie replied with another question. "You'd be more effective against those bandits if you used a sword." Cody said, waving a hand towards the sword on Maddie's horse. "Oh, OK. Thanks," Maddie said, stowing her lance and switching it with a sword.

"Poor little cavalier," mocked the ringleader, "looks like you left your brain in the castle." "Shut up! We have to get to Sienne and your worthless bodies are in our way!" Maddie yelled, anxious to reach an inn and rest. "Alright, then! Since ya don' wanna pay yer fee, guess we'll just settle for a fight, eh?" the leader said. "Bring it on," Cody challenged, readying his Inferno tome. "Watching you burn up's gonna be fun."

"London, are you ready to fight?" Maddie asked. "Don't worry, I'll protect you. After all, it's my duty, right?" London didn't reply to Maddie's question, she had an anxious look on her face as she patted her robes in and out.

"London! Don't worry! I promise I'll protect you!" Maddie emphasized.

"It's not that," London said in a panicked voice. "I think I left my weapon in the castle!!" Maddie's eyes grew wide and she squeaked, "Are you sure?" "Definitely," London's voice shook. "I-I don't think I can fight…" "It's alright," Maddie said, a bit uneasy. "I'll still protect you no matter what."

"Maddie! London! A little help here?" Cody squeaked as the bandits began closing in on him. "Just hang on tight, London." Maddie ordered as she galloped to save the blonde mage. With Maddie as a shield, Cody was able to recite the spell's incantations and have several bandits badly burned to fight.

But when victory seemed to be at hand, the leader whistled and called for more thugs, changing the tide of the battle.

"Ya think it's not too late ta pay yer fee now, right?" he smirked, signaling his boys to encircle the trio. Maddie, London and Cody pressed closer together, wondering how to escape this sticky situation.

* * *

_**End notes:**__ Zack! Moseby! Wake up! Oooh…how will those three make it without your help? Stay tuned for the next chapter! _

_I may be a little delayed in uploading it 'cause I'm starting school in a few days. But worry not! I'll try my best to upload a new chapter ASAP. Thank you to all readers, reviewers, and supporters of Londie! :)_


	6. Level 6: Reunion

**Level 6: Reunion**

Maddie, London and Cody pressed tighter around each other, the cackling of the bandits filling their ears. "Give it up, kids!" one of them cackled. "You'll never win against all of us!"

"Uh, Maddie?" London squeaked. "What?" Maddie replied. "Do you still remember any prayer Sister Dominick or any other nun taught us? They'll surely come in handy right now." London giggled nervously. Before Maddie could get back at London for her joke, London's tone turned serious. "You know what? I meant it when I told you before that there's no one I'd rather spend my last moments with."

Maddie's breath caught in her throat. _What's Lodon trying to say? Is she implying we're going to be saying our goodbyes right now? Is it…game over for us?_

"London!" Maddie said, "don't be that way! We're not going down, not yet!" Maddie tried to ignore the hurt look on London's face. _Obviously Maddie doesn't get it, _London thought sadly, turning her face away from the cavalier, trying hard to hold back the tears. _What's her problem now?_ Maddie thought, wondering why London turned away from her. Shaking away those thoughts, she focused on the situation at hand. She'd straighten things out with London later.

Maddie then turned to Cody. "Cody! Do you have any ideas how to get out of this mess?"

"Uh…uh…" the mage replied meekly, "yell?" "Well, I'll feel stupid, but I guess it's better to live through this embarrassed than let my pride stand in the way. I don't want to die before my time!" Maddie agreed. Turning to her liege, she said, "London! This is one of those things you're good at. Just take a deep breath, and…YELL!"

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"…_and I dub thee, Lord Knight Moseby. 2__nd__ only to me in the entire kingdom," stated the Queen Mother, laying the royal rapier on Sir Moseby's shoulder. Sir Moseby smiled inwardly as he accepted this high honor. "I am honored to be the highest knight in the realm, m'Queen." He humbly replied. The Queen opened her mouth to speak once again. "Do your duty wisely, sir HEEEEEELP!" _

Sir Moseby woke up with a start. _Confound it! It was only a dream?! _He thought disappointedly. _I thought I really was knighted as Lord Knight Moseby. And why would the Queen call me 'Sir Help'?_ Before Sir Moseby could ponder more on the Queen's strange reply to him in his dream, he heard an all-too familiar voice. "HEEEEEEEEELP!" came a scream, which sounded not so far away.

"Polish my armor! I'd know that scream anywhere!" Sir Moseby exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. "It's London! There's no time to waste!" Sir Moseby shook Zack vigorously. "Zack! Wake up, you young rascal! Wake up!" "5 more minutes," pleaded his blond-haired sidekick. "Za-ack! I hear the moneybags clinking!" "MONEY? Where?!" Zack said, jumping to his feet. "When the sound of money is in the air, you know that Zack is always there!"

"I think it's over in that direction." Sir Moseby grinned, jerking a thumb towards the direction of the scream (which Zack hasn't heard). He knew that if London and Maddie were in distress, Zack would arrive there quicker than he would and help them. "Hurry, Zack! The clinking of those moneybags is getting farther!" Sir Moseby tempted. Sir Moseby was right, Zack was off like a blazing comet.

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"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" Cody repeated like a mantra. "I'm clear out of ideas." "And I can't yell anymore," London whispered hoarsely, "that last one took my voice out." "I'll make it up to you if we get out of here alive, London." Maddie promised, "You totally deserve it."

"Say yer prayers, children! Yer goin' down!" the bandit leader grinned, raising his axe for the blow of death. But before he could connect the axe to the trio, the last thing he felt was cold steel which disconnected his head from his body. The now-lifeless body sank to the ground in a bloody mess. "Have no fear, Zack is here!" Zack said triumphantly, but he mumbled under his breath, "Darn Moseby, he tricked me…"

"Zack! You're here!" Cody said excitedly, wrapping his arms around the older twin. "Hey, save the mushy stuff for later," Zack smiled, nudging his brother away. "We've got you to save." With another sword wielder around, they were able to take away the brigands easily. "Not too shabby," Maddie said admiringly. "You're blade work is awesome." "You're not half as bad either, sweet thing." Zack winked. Maddie sighed and decided to ignore this comment.

Before she could think of anything else to say, another bandit suddenly appeared out of the shrubbery. "Zack! Behind you!" Maddie warned. Zack turned around quickly only to discover that the bandit now lay lifeless behind him. "Huh? What happened?" he asked, confused. "I believe that 'I' happened." Sir Moseby grinned, swinging his bloody lance up triumphantly. "Sir Moseby! You came too!" London squealed excitedly.

"And I thought that old man will never catch up," Zack rolled his eyes, "he was so slow I forgot about him." "I came to deliver this to you, London. I hope you shan't forget it again." Sir Moseby said, returning the rapier to its proper owner. "Thanks, Mr. Moseby!" London grinned, accepting it. "I really won't!" "Has Madeline been a good bodyguard on the journey so far?" Sir Moseby asked, casting a wary eye on Maddie. "No need to worry, Mr. Moseby! She promised to 'protect me, no matter what'!" London quoted Maddie's exact words.

Remembering Maddie's words to her earlier, she grinned. "Looks like you're gonna owe me one, candy girl! We did come out alive, after all!" "Speaking of which," Zack smirked, "since I heard nor saw any moneybags, Sir Moseby…"

Sir Moseby eyed Zack warily as Zack held out his palm, "…you owe me 500 gold." "500 GOLD?!" shrieked Mr. Moseby, "That's ¼ of the war funds!" "It's alright, Mr. Moseby," London waved her hand carelessly, "we're alive after all, aren't we? Zack's right, we owe him for helping us in the nick of time." "Oh, alright." Sir Moseby growled as he counted out Zack's payment. "But let me ask you one thing: why do you need so much money?"

"300 gold." Zack replied. "Excuse me?" Sir Moseby quirked an eyebrow. "It'll cost you 300 gold for me to answer that question." Zack smirked. "Preposterous!" Sir Moseby exclaimed. "Fine! Do what you will with 'your' money!" he continued, stomping off.

Maddie grinned at the turn of events. "Well, princess, looks like we can now enter Sienne, huh?" "Yeah," London smiled, "Let's get to a soft, warm bed and have a nice, hot bath…" Maddie gave London a quizzical look and said, "…Separate, right?" "Huh?" London asked, not getting the point. Maddie sighed, "I mean, we'll have _separate _beds and _separate _baths?"

_Maddie emphasized "separate"…_London noted. Pasting a smile, she said, "Yeah! Yeah, sure. But you're OK with same rooms?" "No problem," Maddie agreed, "we've slept together before, right?" _Just not in the same bed…_London thought ruefully.

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**In a village in Sienne:**

"Excuse me sir," a singer named Carey said, approaching a local, "has any of my two sons returned yet?" "I'm sorry ma'am, no." replied the villager, "The last we've heard from one of them is that he's left Sienne to try to seek outside help." "Oh, OK. Thanks," Carey said disappointedly. "Look, you're lucky those boys escaped before the marquis blocked off the city. You know he isn't going to give up a prize like you." "You've been kind providing me shelter, even at the cost of your own lives."

"Think nothing of it," the villager replied, "we never liked the marquis much anyway. I'm sure your boys will return and help you out of this mess."

"Thanks," Carey repeated, "I just hope they come soon."

_**End Notes:**__ Whoa!! An outpouring of reviews! I didn't expect that! Thank you one and all! I'm really glad to see that you are enjoying the story so far. Thanks for all those reviews, it keeps me focused and inspired to add more color and flair to this story. Until the next chapter, take care guys! Thanks once again for your support! _


	7. Level 7: So close, yet so far

**Level 7: So close, yet so far**

"Hey Cody," Zack said, turning to his twin, "where's the nearest inn here? I'm really beat!" "Well," Cody thought, trying to remember where he spent his last gold coin, "I think the best one we can hope to be in is the 'Hearth Inn'." "Hearth Inn? Sounds romantic," London said, a dreamy look coming over her face. Maddie shook her head and laughed. "That's a good one, princess."

"So which way is it?" Sir Moseby asked, getting impatient by the minute. "Just a little bit further," Cody encouraged. "About 1 more block, then we're going to turn left. Then it's just gonna be in front of our noses!"

Following Cody's instructions, the weary group trudged on and finally came face to face with the inn. "Aaah!" London chirped excitedly, running towards the welcoming light spilling on the streets, "finally!" The others grinned at London's reaction to something as simple as warm lights. "C'mon!" Zack urged, "I want to grab some dinner too!"

As soon as they paid the innkeeper their fee, the group dispersed to do what they had to do. Zack and Cody went to grab some food, Sir Moseby headed straight to bed, Maddie went to her and London's room to unpack their things, and London went to the outdoor pool, which was slightly heated since the nights were getting a bit cold.

"Aaaah…" London sighed as she dipped into the warm water. The relaxing sensation of the pool gave her more time to think, and she took advantage of that. Closing her eyes, she began to ponder on the day's events. But a prominent figure pushed it all away. _Maddie…_ London thought.

_She's been so accommodating to me since we got here, even if she got all the bad things in this game. I guess I shouldn't be so mean to her anymore—even if she's poor. But the thing is—why do I feel like I'm falling for her? _

"Mind if I join you?" a voice broke through London's "meditation". "Eeek!" London squeaked, splashing water out of the pool. "Maddie, you startled me!" "Sorry," Maddie said, lowering herself into the pool. "Hey, I didn't say you could join me," joked London. "Well," Maddie replied, "I would've gone in either way." "Haha…" London said.

The two girls sat in silence for a moment, letting the warm water relax the knots off their tense muscles. Maddie was the first one to break the stillness. "What a day, huh?" she began, "I mean, look, we've just had our first real combat experience in this game." "Yeah," London agreed, "but you know what, Maddie? Everything—doesn't feel like a game anymore." "What do you mean?" Maddie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well, everyone here is acting so—real. Would you believe it if, like, Virtua-Zack would tell you he liked you? Or would you pass it off that it's only a simulated romance?" London said.

"Wow, I didn't know that you knew the word 'simulated'," Maddie grinned, but London gave her a serious look, showing that she was dead serious. Maddie cleared her throat and gave her princess an honest answer. "Well, I'd say that Virtua-Zack was only a simulated romance. It's only a game after all, right? Everything's just made up." Maddie answered. London's face took on the same hurt expression it had earlier that afternoon, when they were at the point of death. Maddie had forgotten about it, and knew that this would be a perfect opportunity to bring up that topic.

"Is something bothering you, princess?" she asked, moving closer to London, "you've displayed that hurting expression since this afternoon." "So you noticed?" London said, forcing a smile. "Now, London, I'm your friend. Don't be all superficial with me." Maddie said, "your facial muscles are all tensed up, that's an obvious fake smile." "Well, you wouldn't understand anyway," London said quietly.

"London, I'm your friend, you can tell me anything," Maddie coaxed. "Ask me anything you want, besides, I owe you one, remember?" she continued, placing an arm behind London. London sighed and moved closer to the crook of Maddie's arm, wishing that this was one romantic moment instead of a "comfort-a-friend" moment. Maddie respected London's silence, and they had another quiet moment.

Finally, after about a minute, London spoke, "You see, Maddie, uhm…" "Yes?" Maddie gently replied, looking straight into London's deep onyx orbs. "I—I want to say, uh, well—" London's breath caught in her throat, "Willyoubemygirlfriend?!" it came out in a rush. Maddie's eyebrows wrinkled in confusion. London had a tendency to run words together if she was nervous. But there was no mistaking it, along London's line of babbled words, she heard the word, "girlfriend". "Could you—repeat that? Slowly this time, London." Maddie asked, just to make sure.

London took a deep breath and realized that confessing it may probably too premature. "I said…'will you stick with me to the end'?" she lied. Maddie's confused look eased and she smiled. Perhaps her ears were getting to her and she mistook "the end" for "girlfriend". She'd have to check in with an ear doctor when they got back. "Of course," Maddie said, hugging her friend, "we're friends to the end." London relished the moment until Maddie broke away. "Let's go get some shuteye, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow." Maddie smiled. _Be still my beating heart…_ London thought, trying to still her pounding chest.

Maddie climbed up the pool and offered London her hand. London smiled a small smile, wondering if she'd ever have the courage to take their relationship as best friends up a notch.

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**The next morning:**

"The marquis's castle is up ahead," Sir Moseby informed the refreshed group. "Looks like there's no one in sight," Maddie observed. "That's odd," Sir Moseby said, "there are usually scouts patrolling the border." "…this is a typical sign of an ambush." Cody mumbled. "What was that?" Sir Moseby said, "Speak up, young mage." "Sir Moseby," Cody said, loudly enough for only the knight to hear, "this is a typical sign of an ambush."

"How would you know?" Sir Moseby shot back. "I'm a more seasoned knight than you are, skilled in the ways of war!" "I know, because this is the same tactic Lord Bryan used to capture our mother." Cody replied, his nervous black eyes darting to and fro scanning for enemy soldiers. "He wouldn't dare use the same tactic twice!" exclaimed Sir Moseby. "It's most effective for small, unwary groups." Cody warned.

"Bah! I don't believe y—" Sir Moseby began, only to be cut off.

"EEEEK!" London screamed as an enemy cavalier grabbed her by her robes and dropped her stomach-first behind him on the saddle. "LONDON!" the entire group said, startled. "We have no time to waste! They've got London!" Maddie said, urging her horse to a gallop, not letting the enemy cavalier out of her sight.

Reaching for a Javelin, she hurled it with all her might and prayed not to hit London. A scream pierced the air, the javelin hit home in the cavalier's arm. With a startled snort, the horse reared up and threw off its riders. The cavalier hit the ground with a thud and his steed trampled him to death before galloping away.

London was sure she would have the same fate, but a pair of hands grabbed her. "I've gotcha!" Maddie smiled reassuringly. "Hop behind me, princess!" London nodded as she followed Maddie's instructions. Once behind her cavalier, the Asian princess unsheathed her rapier to prepare for the battle. "Good work, Madeline!" Sir Moseby praised when they returned, "Quick thinking."

Maddie smiled but kept her alert composure. "See, I told you," Cody whispered. "Yeah, you should listen to Cody," Zack nodded. "He's been named as a prodigy in war tactics." "Whatever!" Sir Moseby growled. Cody ignored the knight's jealous outburst, and said in a worried tone, "That fleeing horse must have alerted the other units."

Cody was right, within seconds, cavaliers and foot-soldiers appeared from every possible hiding place, Lord Bryan among them. "If we cannot get the princess by stealth, we have to get her by force!" he announced. Sir Moseby's eyes narrowed at the sight of the marquis. "Bryan, you traitor!" he yelled, "how could you have tricked the king into signing that contract? Now you're after his daughter too?" Lord Bryan laughed, and said, "Poor, ignorant heap of scrap metal. Don't you know that she is the fabled 'daughter of chaos'? By sacrificing her, I will be king of the world!"

"Not on my watch," Sir Moseby growled. "I failed protecting my king, I won't fail his daughter! I'll kill you!" "Go ahead!" Lord Bryan taunted. "My army is more than ready to take you on."

Out of the corner of his eye, Zack saw local bandits crawling over to take advantage of the confusion. While they would be engaged in battle, the bandits could and would plunder, pillage and pulverize the villages. "Oh no," he whispered, nudging his brother, "we have to warn the villages! Mom may be in one of them!" "Let's ask London if we can split up and tell them! We'll regroup ASAP!" Cody said, panicky. Zack nodded and they hurried off to ask London.

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**In the southeastern village:**

"What's going on?" Carey asked, hearing the tumult outside the village. "Seems as if a small vigilante group is fighting head-to-head with the full Sienne army!" one woman said excitedly, "Lady Carey, this could be your chance to slip past the Marquis' scouts!" "But what about my boys? They could come any moment!" Carey said. "They'll catch up." The woman said nonchalantly. _This person's obviously never been a mother,_ Carey thought. _What should I do? Should I make a run for it or wait if in that vigilante group is Zack or Cody returning with help?_

_**End notes: **Decisions, decisions. Will Carey stay or go? Stay tuned to the next chapter! Thanks to all readers and reviewers once again! _


	8. Level 8: To Battle!

**Level 8: To Battle!**

Carey fidgeted nervously as she paced to and fro, turning over the possibilities in her mind. "What should I do…?" she whispered to herself. The villager was correct, this would be a perfect opportunity to escape Lord Bryan's arm; the marquis himself was engaged in battle. Before she could worry any further, she heard a familiar voice. "Excuse me! Do you know a singer here named Carey Martin?"

Carey turned, and she saw Cody. "Cody!" she exclaimed happily, gathering her son in her arms. "You're OK!" She covered him in kisses, "My little baby!" "Awww…mom!" Cody said, rubbing his cheek, "I thought I was a 'little man' now." "Whatever. What matters is that you're alive and well!" Carey exclaimed, scrutinizing the mage for some hidden bruise or wound. "It's good to see you're OK too, mom! Bryan didn't harm you in any way?" Cody asked, concern edging his voice.

"I'm 100 fine, Cody. These villagers helped me." Carey replied, gesturing to the smiling residents. "We owe you one…and we're repaying it by telling you to shut your gates. Bandits are heading this way, and you'd better lock those gates tight." Cody said. "What about you? Are you leaving with your son?" A village grandfather asked. "Yes, I'm sorry but I have to go. It's been a pleasure staying with you. Thank you for protecting me." "It was nothing, Lady Carey. Thank you for keeping our hopes alive with your songs." Another lady said, wiping her eyes. "I hope we'll meet again someday."

"We definitely will." Carey affirmed, waving as the village gates shut behind her.

As the duo walked away, Carey asked, "By the way, Cody, where's your brother?" "He went to that other village." Cody replied, jerking her towards the fighting. "Hey! Why are we going to that direction? Shouldn't we head for safety?" Carey exclaimed. "I enlisted Princess London, Cavalier Maddie and Sir Moseby to help us look for you, so isn't it just right for us to help them?" Cody answered. "Oh, I guess you're right…" Carey said, "but I don't know any combat skills!"

"Doesn't matter, mom! Remember when you said you learned some arcane magic which can strengthen the bodies? That ought to help." Cody said. "Hurry up! London and Maddie may need some help."

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London slashed at another cavalier's horse. The lifeless steed fell on its side, leaving its rider vulnerable to ground attacks. "Gotcha!" London exclaimed, running her rapier between the armor plates. "London!" Maddie said, galloping towards her liege, "don't stray from me. Use me as your shield!" Maddie exclaimed, striking a footsoldier with her lance. "I can take more damage than you can." "Right on, candy girl." London said.

"Hey, didn't it occur to you that 'candy' is sweet? May I call you sweet thing?" London grinned. "London! This is no time for jokes!" Maddie said, cutting through a wave of soldiers. "Oh, right, haha!" London laughed sheepishly. "Hey guys, I'm back!" Cody said, bringing Carey along with him. "This is my mother, Carey!" "Save the introductions for later," Sir Moseby said, taking two cavaliers down, "we have to kill Bryan to end this little scuffle."

Two paladins down and a foot soldier later, London began complaining again. "I'm tired of swinging my sword around!" London gasped, "One, two stabs, and I'm gasping for breath!" "I think I can help with that," said Carey, happy to finally be useful, "by singing an ancient aria, I can invigorate your body to deal more damage and boost your defense." "Really?" Sir Moseby exclaimed, overhearing Carey's offer. "Might you be a priestess, Lady Carey?"

"Oh no, sir knight, priestesses heal. I'm only a singer who helps boost allies' attack and defense." Carey replied. Clearing her throat, she began to sing. Almost immediately, London, Maddie, and Sir Moseby's fatigue washed away. "Wow!" Maddie said, swinging her lance with renewed vigor, "I feel all rested up!" "And so do I!" London noticed, felling a horse and its rider in a single stab. "Thanks, Carey!"

"No problem at all," Carey smiled, "I'll just stay near my little mage." "Mom…" Cody mumbled. "Fine, I'll protect you." At that moment, Zack slipped through the enemy lines, cutting down wave after wave of foot soldiers. "Heya! I'm back. Good job, Cody. Looks like you got mom back." Zack grinned. "Perfect timing, Zack. Now you can replace me in guarding the songbird." Cody said, slipping away to use Sir Moseby as a human shield.

"What the--! The nerve of that little brat!" Zack yelled. "What is it, Zack? You don't like protecting your mommy?" Carey pouted, putting on a puppy-dog face. "Awww…darn. I can't resist that…" Zack groaned. "Just follow me then, mom." Carey followed her son to the rear lines, behind Sir Moseby and Maddie to help protect London's back.

"I've gotcha back, Princess." Zack grinned. "Thanks Zack," London said, a bit absentmindedly. A footsoldier tried thrusting his lance to impale London. Fortunately the princess missed the fatal blow despite her absentmindedness. When she tried striking him, however, she missed.

"London! How could you miss? He was right in front of you!" Zack exclaimed, slashing at the soldier's jugular. "I'm sorry," London apologized. The princess' eyes strayed for a slight moment to look at Maddie, hoping her cavalier didn't notice or hear of her blunder. "Earth to London!" Zack called, nudging her. "A little help here?" he continued, slashing and cutting at two Sentinels. "Right…" London said.

Zack continued observing the princess and noticed every so often, her line of sight would stray to the blonde cavalier. _Hmmm…I think I'm on to something_. Zack thought smugly. "Zack! Cody! Help!" Carey called as two halberdiers began encircling her. "Gotcha, mom!" Cody said, toasting the two soldiers with Inferno. "Thanks son." Carey beamed. She began to sing another tune to help increase Cody's speed.

Maddie and Sir Moseby plowed through the front lines, finally arriving at Lord Bryan's position. He was surrounded by Generals and Paladins. "Moseby, I'm surprised you came this far." Bryan called out. "Yes I have, and I'll go even farther!" Sir Moseby said, thrusting his lance at a Paladin's armor. The surprised rider fell off his steed, writhing in pain. Seizing this opportunity, Sir Moseby jumped aboard the vacant Stallion and began slashing left and right, staining the horse's snowy coat bright red.

"You're going down, Bryan!" Sir Moseby yelled, grabbing a halberd and throwing it to Bryan. Maddie followed her superior and protected him from other foot soldiers and riders who would interfere with Lord Bryan and Sir Moseby's battle.

The halberd hit Bryan's shield, leaving the Paladin defenseless. "He threw it full force," whispered Lord Bryan, watching his shield crumble to the dust along with the Halberd. "No matter, I will fight Tipton's robot head-on."

Trotting over to Sir Moseby, Lord Bryan began. "Only one of us will remain standing today," Lord Bryan said, circling Sir Moseby, "will it be me, Marquis Sienne, or you, Sir Moseby of the Tipton Castle?" "I can assure you it's going to be me." Sir Moseby said confidently, readying his lance. "I will not fail my liege a second time."

Without a signal to begin, both men thrust their lances.

The whole battlefield remained silent as their two commanders faced each other in a heated duel.

* * *

End notes: Waaah…battle's boring. Anyway, who's going to come out alive? Will it be our favorite knight, Sir Moseby? Or will London's small army wave their white flag of defeat? Stay tuned in the next chapter!

_Wooow…thank you guys sooo much. I love the feedback, seriously! Believe it or not, reviews got me hooked to this story too! Replies to the reviewers:_

_**whateveer123-**__ sure I will! I'm seriously getting hooked too :)_

_**Sensational Sista-**__ Thanks! Yeah, you're right about the fantasy genre. It's really fun 'cause you get to manipulate the plot to whatever you want. Don't worry, more Londie is on the way! _

_**KittySquyres- **__Glad to know Maddie's doing her job seriously, hehe! Personally, I think Maddie's always been the more, uhm, "masculine" between them. Especially after watching the Londie version of "Bop to the top"! More updates on the way! _

_**Oscar the Wood-works Turtle-**__Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it! _


	9. Level 9: The Secret Passage

**Level 9: The Secret Passage**

Maddie wondered why the soldier she was fighting suddenly paused and dropped his weapon. She had honor, so she didn't strike down her opponent. Instead, she placed herself on defense and followed his line of sight. "Oh no…" Maddie whispered, moving a bit closer to get a better view.

The whole battle stopped, everyone's full attention was at Lord Bryan and Sir Moseby's duel. They had begun, it seemed. It was Lord Bryan who struck first, thinking he would have the upper hand.

Lord Bryan had a lousy thrust; he obviously was more skilled blowing off hot air than the ways of war. Sir Moseby easily dodged the marquis' lance and took the opportunity to strike the proud lord off his horse. "Aargh…!" Lord Bryan exclaimed, trying to stop the ringing in his head.

"It's over for you now, Bryan!" Sir Moseby exclaimed in triumph, readying his lance for the fatal blow.

"MERCYYYYYY!" was Lord Bryan's last words as he gave up the ghost.

"…" Sir Moseby pulled out his bloodstained lance. Facing the soldiers, he swung it in a circle. "Heed my words, soldiers of Sienne! I have defeated your marquis in a one-on-one duel! I order you to surrender your weapons and retreat at once!" He ordered.

"Lord Bryan was defeated…" one soldier murmured, "We don't have a chance with them anymore."

"Yeah, I'd rather escape with my life." Another soldier said. Throwing down their weapons, the soldiers left in a massive wave.

"Alright!" Zack exclaimed, picking up weapon after weapon. "Souvenirs! C'mon, Cody! Help me out here!" Cody rolled his eyes and helped his brother pick up the loot.

"MAAAAADDIE!" London called out, walking across the bloodstained field, "MAAADDIE! Are you OK?!"

"Maddie, is this you?" London lifted the visor of one soldier. "London!" Maddie semi-scolded her liege, keeping in mind to keep her voice down lest Sir Moseby rat on her some more. "I'm over here." Maddie said, stowing her lance and getting off her horse. London ran full speed ahead to Maddie's open arms.

"I'm glad you're OK," London whispered, laying her head on Maddie's breastplate, her tears washing away the bloodstains. "I'm glad you are too, London," Maddie responded, "this battle was the scariest one we've encountered yet."

"I feared you got KO'd." London said. "Me? KO'd?" Maddie scoffed, "it'll take more than that to bring the Mighty Madeline down!" Maddie flexed her muscle and London giggled.

"Is everyone alright?" Sir Moseby asked, approaching the two girls. "Just fine, Sir Moseby." Maddie smiled. London nodded in agreement.

Seeing the duo in a tight embrace, Sir Moseby cleared his throat. "You might want to tone that part down a little," he warned, "you know full well, Princess London, that the Queen Mother disapproves of a relationship between a knight and a princess, moreso if you are both women."

Maddie and London watched Sir Moseby walk away, and Maddie shrugged herself off London. "What's his beef, eh London? It's not like we're lovers or anything." Maddie said nonchalantly. "People here are so paranoid." London didn't answer Maddie, she didn't want to add another stack of worry to her friend.

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"So where do we head on now?" Zack asked Sir Moseby, his arms full of war equipment. "We've defeated the marquis here, isn't the quest over?" "Not entirely, Zack." Sir Moseby said. "Our last stop is in Morte Island, to get back king Tipton."

"Oh, alright." Zack said, "I guess you can never have too much of a good thing."

"Let's secure the castle so no more plotting Sienne nobles or advisors can seize the throne." Sir Moseby said.

"Where's the quickest way to Morte Island anyway, Sir Moseby?" Maddie asked.

"I think I can answer that," Carey cut in. All heads snapped towards the singer. "I don't want to sound rude, Lady Carey, but…how do you know?" Maddie asked. "It's quite simple, actually," Carrie grinned.

"When Lord Bryan didn't allow me to leave Sienne, he often summoned me to the castle to sing for him. One night, I heard him mention of a secret tunnel which is a one-way road to Morte Island. I think he mentioned arriving at the island within week." Carrie continued.

Sir Moseby broke into the biggest grin anyone saw in a long time. "That's the best piece of news I heard in a long time! Lead the way, Carey!"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

The company filed into Castle Sienne's throne room. "This seems to be the perfect place to hide a secret passage; after all, the king sits here all day." Cody surmised. "True," Maddie agreed. "Let's search the place."

London headed over to the tapestry and pushed them aside to check.

Maddie headed towards the paintings. Zack and Cody searched the walls for indications of a hidden door. Sir Moseby tapped the floor with his lance for a hint of hollowness, and Carey was staring around the room, deep in thought.

"Hey, I know!" Carey exclaimed, "check the throne, guys! Most kings hide things behind it!"

Zack, Cody, and Sir Moseby grunted as they pushed and pulled to move the throne. Their efforts were rewarded when the throne gave a mighty creak and revealed its secret.

A tunnel greeted the hopeful company, and a weak gust of wind blew from within. It was dark, damp and foreboding. "Are you ready to head in yet, princess London?" Sir Moseby asked. "Yes!" London said, all chipper, "let's go get Daddy!"

London tore down the tunnel faster than the speed of light.

"How does she do that?" Zack wondered as they followed London's trail.

**That night:**

Zack piled more fuel for Carey and Cody. They were about to cook dinner. Sir Moseby helped Maddie lay the sleeping mats over the cave's floor.

London went exploring, and around a corner, a hand suddenly grabbed her. "You must ve ze daughter of Vilfred Tipton!" an all too familiar voice commented. "Eeek!" London squealed, "Help me!"

Maddie, Sir Moseby and Zack were at her side in a flash. "London! Are you OK?" Zack beat Maddie in asking the question. "Someone's grabbing my wrist…" London whimpered.

Sir Moseby swung a torch and the orange light lit up the surrounding area. "Well I'll be," he muttered, "Ilsa Shickelgrubermeiger-Von Helsing der Keppelugerhofer, what are you doing here?" "I'm surprised you can remember my name, Sir Moseby," Ilsa smirked, "maybe you have a thing for me?"

The sage wore rich robes, a large, rare red-diamond necklace around her neck, and had a perfect hairdo and immaculately manicured nails.

"Shut your trap and answer my question." Sir Moseby snarled. "Oooh! Touchy, aren't ve? Vell, I am the guardian of ze tunnel to Morte Island. You'll have to get past me before you can reach ze end, vich iz like a 5-day vok at zur slow progress." Ilsa explained. Ilsa released London, and teleported herself away, her maniacal laughter filling the cave.

"Well, we still have to get past that one." Sir Moseby said, "at least we know that she won't bother us until the end."

The group walked back to their base camp, and London sighed. "She had that big, diamond necklace 'round her neck, I wish it could be mine."

Zack's ears perked up. "Diamond necklace? You want Ilsa's diamond necklace?"

"Yeah," London nodded, "is your offer still valid?"

"Of course," Zack replied smugly, "but it comes at a price, of course."

"Yipee! How much?" London said, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Well," Zack smiled deviously, "you really sure you want to pay up?"

"Of course!" London nodded, anything for that necklace!"

"Alright, then," Zack whispered, motioning London to move closer, "here's the price…"

London's eyes flew wide as Zack whispered. "WHAT?! I can't do that!"

"Of course you can," Zack said, "you said, 'anything'." The thief emphasized "anything" with air quotes. "Besides, I know there's two things in this world you love," he continued, "Jewels…and your cavalier, Madeleine."

London's eyes flew open and her cheeks turned red. "You noticed?" "How wouldn't I?" Zack said smugly. "So…are you willing to pay the price?"

London sighed and began thinking about the rare diamond necklace. Maybe it was worth the price. "Alright, then," she sighed, "I'm going to go kiss Maddie."

* * *

_**End Notes:**__ Whew! Another chapter done. I really got inspired during the last few weeks, that's why I updated super-quick, and it's not due to pressure! This time, the frenzy's gone down so I'll begin updating normally again. Thanks to all readers and reviewers! Until next time, Ciao! _


	10. Level 10: A Kiss gone Amiss

**Chapter 10: A Kiss gone Amiss**

"Everyone! Dinner's ready!" Carey called as Cody ladled some stew into bowls.

The hungry company eagerly rushed towards the inviting aroma, except Zack and London. Zack gave London a devilish grin and sprang ahead, while London sighed and dragged her feet towards the waiting group. "London! Hurry up! I saved you a seat beside me." Maddie smiled, waving her hand.

London groaned and slipped beside Maddie. Zack was beside London, waiting to see any "action". Carey started handing out the soup bowls. "Do I really have to do this?" she whispered to Zack. "The diamond!" Zack replied, giving London a wink.

London shivered unconsciously as she rubbed her arms. The very thought of confessing to Maddie right here and now is…well…quite abrupt. But the thought of Ilsa's diamond hanging around her neck was equally tempting as well.

London slowly ate the stew as she pondered on her thoughts. It was tasty, but a thousand butterflies in her stomach made it difficult to appreciate the dinner.

Maddie set down her bowl and swung a cloth over her shoulder. "Thanks for the stew, Carey and Cody! If you don't mind, I'm going for a bath. And you boys don't get any ideas in following me around…especially you Zack." "Who? Me?" Zack had a mock-hurt look in his face, "I wouldn't dream of it."

"And how would you take a bath in a place like this?" Sir Moseby asked.

Maddie smiled and smugly replied, "Well, if I told you, you might follow me." "The girl's right," Carey said firmly, casting an eye on her twin boys. "Leave her be."

Cody looked innocently at his mother but Zack still retained the smug grin on his face.

London quickly gobbled down her stew and grabbed another cloth. "Mind if I join you, Maddie?" she asked breathlessly. Maddie nodded. "Sure, London. No problem at all!"

London swallowed hard as she fell in step behind Maddie. She still had thoughts swirling around her head. _Perhaps this is more than I bargained for…it's just the two of us, that's perfect. We're in a bath…no big deal…unless Maddie's gonna be…_

London's cheeks turned red as she thought of the last word, _…naked._

Maddie held London's hand as they wove through an intricate maze of turns and tunnels. London decided to test her luck and slipped her fingers to be entwined around Maddie's. The princess breathed a sigh of relief as Maddie's hand squeezed her own, a sign of affirmation.

"Well, here we are, princess." Maddie smiled as she showed London an underground hot spring, hidden by tall reeds as high as their waists. "This is perfect," London said, a dreamy look coming over her face. The duo stood there in silence, until Maddie spoke up.

"So, are we going to continue gaping at the water or try to experience it?" Maddie giggled.

Without waiting for London's response, Maddie stripped down to her undergarments. London gawked at Maddie's seemingly flawless physique. "Oh my stars…" London whispered, fanning herself with one hand, trying to keep her beating heart under control.

Maddie gave London a questioning look. "Are you OK, London?" asked the cavalier. "You seem flustered." "No, it's not that…" London replied, "it's just, uh…it's just…that, uh…is that water cold or warm?"

"Let me test it for you," Maddie said, slipping under the waters. London continued gaping as Maddie's body shimmered thanks to the water droplets reflecting the light. _She's so beautiful,_ London thought, _if only I could tell her that easily as I think of it._

London took off her royal robes as well, and sat on the bank of the spring, simply dipping her legs. "Come on, London, the water's not bad!" Maddie called, her back facing London. London, however, was not responding. She was still swishing her legs mindlessly about in the spring.

_Another body of water…just like when we had our conversation…_London mused, _when she didn't believe that love in this virtual reality truly exists. This setting is eerily similar to the first one, and our talk there ended unsatisfactorily for me. Why do I have a feeling that this one will end the same as the first?_

Hearing no response behind her, Maddie turned to her liege, her mouth open ready to beckon London once again. However, what she saw caused her breath to stick in her throat.

London's hair was undone, and her jet-black hair shone in the faint light of the swirling waters. Her cute face was scrunched up deep in thought, and Maddie found herself smiling. _She can actually look smart, _Madde grinned, _and beautiful. _

Shaking her head from these thoughts, she called London once again. "London! Jump in!" London's head snapped up, broken from her train of thought. "Huh--? Wha--?!" she asked, startled. "I said, 'jump in'! The water's fine!" Maddie said, swimming over to London.

Maddie placed her arms on London's lap. "Aren't you coming in?" Maddie asked, resting her head on her limbs. _To have her this close…I could kiss her here and now…_ London thought.

_She's even more beautiful up close…_ Maddie thought, raising her head and moving in closer, _I want to kiss her…but it's wrong…wrong but right but wrong yet wright…_

Unknown to the two entranced young women, Zack followed them to witness if London kept her part of the deal. The thief wisely chose to wear a green tunic to match himself among the reeds.

Before anyone made a move, Maddie suddenly pulled away. "So," she said, "jump in!" Maddie grabbed London's legs to coax her into the water.

"I…don't swim." London said.

"What? You don't swim?" Maddie scoffed. "Come on, London! You're the most athletic person I know. How could you be a blackbelt in karate yet not know how to swim?"

"I…just don't know." London shrugged. "Doesn't seem fun."

"I don't believe you," Maddie said, giving London's legs a firmer pull. "Maddie! Believe me, I don't know how to…whoa!" London slipped off her slippery perch and fell into the water.

"See? You're floating!" Maddie grinned as London thrashed around. "I don't know how to swim!!" she cried. "Maddie, help!"

"Quit kidding, London." Maddie said as she watched London flopping like a fish, but a hint of doubt lingered in the back of her mind. _What if London_ really _doesn't know how to swim?_ She thought. Yet she pushed aside the doubt—until London began going under.

"London! Stop clowning around!" Maddie yelled, until London went under, under, under like a rock. Realizing her earlier doubt was confirmed; Maddie quickly dove under and pulled London out. Fortunately, they weren't too far from the bank, and Maddie was able to drag the unconscious London to solid ground.

Laying the princess on the ground, she pushed the water out from London's body. _I shouldn't have forced her to swim…_Maddie thought fearfully, _What if…what if she drowned? What then…?_

As Maddie coaxed out the last of the water from London's body, she flipped her over to perform CPR, since London wasn't breathing on her own yet. Placing her lips on top of London's, she suddenly stiffened when a pair of arms encircled her neck, pressing her lips tighter on London's.

Maddie rotated clockwise so that her lips would be positioned correctly, and returned it with a fervor. The blonde was now on all fours on top of London, who was lying down on the moss-covered ground. _This is perfect…_ London's eyes teared up, _she…she accepted my kiss_…

_It's all wrong, but it's alright…_Maddie thought, _all I want is to hold you…my princess…_

The kiss intensified, and London placed her hands on Maddie's cheek. Maddie's right hand held London's left, while the right hand stroked London's damp hair.

After a while, Maddie traced a finger down London's perfect torso, gripping the rim of her undergarment. But suddenly, the invading finger stopped just centimeters of removing the garment.

"I'm sorry," Maddie gasped, breaking the kiss, "I'm so sorry…"

"For what? Almost drowning me?" London asked, "It's alright…"

"No, not that," Maddie said, "falling for you. It's wrong. Sir Moseby said it is. Either in this world, or the real one."

"Maddie, it's OK, I love you too." London confessed.

"So that's why you've been acting so weird around me lately?" Maddie asked.

London hung her head. "I guess so…that's it, really. I haven't been myself lately since I've been thinking of you."

"It's wrong." Maddie said firmly, trying to guard her pride. "We can't…be together."

"But Maddie…" London whined. After all, London gets what London wants.

"No…and stop acting all weird around me!!" Maddie said, her tone angry and hot tears streaming down her face. "It's wrong!" she repeated, gathering her clothes in a rage. She hurriedly scooped them up as she wiped her tears and quickly left, presumably to dress someplace else.

London was crying as well. Her whole world came down—Maddie dumped her before they even began a proper relationship. Did that 5 minute moment even count to Maddie?

Zack emerged from his hiding place. "So, you fulfilled your part of the deal," he smiled a small smile. "As promised, I'll go nab that diamond for you when we confront Ilsa."

London sniffled as she wiped away her tears. "You perv. I just hope it's worth it. I lost the thing I love which is the number one on my list."

_**End Notes:**__ Poor London! She's been rejected(?)! Anyway, did you ever notice in the TV series (such as in "Poor little Rich girl") that Maddie always seems to be the one who's "in denial" of her feelings? It's just my observation, though! More Londie in the TV-series! _

_Please guys, a bit more reviews? I want to know if anyone's still reading. Thanks in advance :)_


	11. Level 11: For Her Sake

**Level 11: For Her Sake**

_Stop acting so weird around me!! _

London shuddered as she remembered the last of Maddie's words. She was already dressed and on her way back to the company's base. Fortunately, Zack was with her, and the thief knew the way back.

Without Zack, London would be lost for a while, trying to find her way back.

However, without Maddie, London would be lost forever.

No words were exchanged between Zack and London; they were too wrapped up in the little event which took place roughly 5 minutes ago.

London was afraid of how Maddie's following reaction would be once they'd reach base camp. Undoubtedly, Maddie would be angry, and London didn't like Maddie when she was angry—particularly when Maddie's angry at her.

_Maddie…_London thought as her eyes teared up, _would there be any more hope for reconciliation? Or better yet…a relation? _

"Here we are," Zack announced as they reached the base.

London's eyes observed the company. Sir Moseby was polishing his weapons and sharpening them, Carey was already asleep, and Cody was memorizing new spells from his book. Maddie was just sitting there, staring solemnly at the fire. The only indicator of the little happening at the spring was Maddie's still-damp blonde hair.

London took a deep breath and decided to get it over with. She was determined that, even if she can't have Maddie as a lover, she may as well try to save their friendship.

"Maddie…" she said quietly, approaching the cavalier, "I'm so sorry about what happened."

"Did you need something, London?" Maddie asked brusquely. She deliberately ignored the last part of London's statement.

London shivered at the roughness of Maddie's tone. She never used that around her before. "Maddie," she tried again, "I'm really sorry. If you feel like we can't be lovers, can we at least try to fix our friendship?" London begged.

Maddie cast a sideways glance at her, but only for a split second. Her gaze resumed to the dancing embers around her. London waited a bit, but still no response from Maddie.

London showed unusual patience as she continued waiting for Maddie to speak. Finally, Maddie broke the silence. "Really, London, if you don't need anything from me, I'm going to get ready for bed." Maddie doused the fire and walked towards her bedroll, leaving London to watch the dying embers.

**That night:**

London tossed and turned, trying to get sleep. Under normal circumstances, she would have complained she was afraid of the dark and demand for the fire. And the best part was that Maddie would allow her to snuggle close to her. Maddie's strong arms wrapped around her always gave her a sense of security.

But for this night, there would be no snuggling. London wasn't even sure if there would be any more in the future.

Finally giving up trying to sleep, London took her sword belt and strapped it to her side. She decided to take a midnight walk to clear her head. The sword clanked against the stone floor as she buckled it, causing Maddie to stir a bit. However, it wasn't enough to wake her up.

London glanced sadly at Maddie, and stood up to take a stroll. She lit a small lantern and began her walk.

There wasn't anything to see, except the hundreds of tunnels leading who-knows-where and a few sturdy underground plants. The weak light of London's lantern lent an eerie atmosphere, faint orange light bouncing off the cave walls.

Suddenly, a shadow flitted behind London. "!!" London spun around, wondering who it could be. Perhaps it was just the wind. London shook her head and continued her walk. But the same sudden gust of air brushed behind her again!

"Z-Zack?" London called out warily, "Is that you? It's not funny!" she cried, stamping her foot. Another shadow rushed by, this time knocking the lamp off her hands. "Z-Zack?!" London said, now scared stiff. She reached for her rapier, only to discover the buckle had been loosened at it fell somewhere along the unlit path.

London whimpered helplessly. She was foolish enough to wander off in the first place without consulting anyone!

The three shadow figures encircled her. One grabbed her wrists and the other two stood by her side. "You're coming with us," a male voice said. "Like I have a choice," London said, rolling her eyes. "Silence! We have to return to your camp and leave a note to where we are headed." The first voice said.

London felt a spark of hope when they mentioned the base camp. Perhaps she could wake up her allies by screaming for help.

As if reading her thoughts, one of the henchmen tied a gag around London's mouth, preventing her from emitting any audible sounds.

"Follow us," the second voice demanded, pulling her after them.

London followed the shadowy figures through every twist and turn, and they finally arrived once again to the base camp. The first figure loosed London's ties, the second one lit a fire bright enough to illuminate a small area, and the third figure gave London a pen and paper.

London looked questioningly at her captor, unable to as what the paper was for.

"Write a letter telling your companions to head back, and to abandon their search for the king," One growled. "And if you try any funny message, we won't kill you…" Two said, positioning himself conveniently behind Maddie, a dagger ready to slit the unconscious cavalier's neck, "but this girl wouldn't see the dawn of a new day."

London's eyes grew wide as she saw the gravity of the situation. She nodded to show she understood, and quickly (yet reluctantly) wrote a letter signed in her name. Three read the message, and showed his approval. "Let's go," Three said, placing London's rapier with the letter, "before the others wake up."

Two pressed his dagger closer, leaving a wound. It was shallow, but it was enough to draw blood. "Trademark of the finest," Two smirked, gathering the blood with his thumb and licking it off his finger. London squealed in protest, angry that they promised not to hurt Maddie if she followed their instructions.

Unbeknowest to all of them, London's squeal woke up Cody. The mage regained semi-consciousness, but continued to fake sleep as he heard unfamiliar voices in the camp. He opened his eyes a slit to try to see who could they be.

"Alright, alright!" Two said, throwing up his hands, "that's enough for today. But the next time, she won't be as lucky."

As Two stood up to leave, he accidentally kicked Cody's arm. The mage groaned a little because of the pain.

"You klutz! You may have woken the boy up! Let's get out of here!" One hissed. They quickly scurried away, but not fast enough to escape Cody's glance. The mage saw the three bandits hustle London away, but was frozen in fear to do anything to help.

When they moved a safe distance away, they replaced London's binds but took away her gag. "If you come with us with no resistance, you may go the rest of the way to Morte Island without that gag." Three said. London nodded, and asked, "So who are you guys anyway?"

The three looked at her simultaneously. "We haven't introduced ourselves, have we?" Two said, a fake smile gracing his face.

"We are…" Three began.

"…the famous…" Two continued,

"…Black Ace!" One finished, his teeth gleaming in the darkness.

London's jaw went slack as she realized what foolishness she had gotten herself into. Again.

**That Morning:**

Cody shivered as he remembered last night's events. He dared not to be the first one up, fearing they might question it. The poor mage was hiding under the covers.

"Hello, what's this?" he heard Sir Moseby exclaim, "London went ahead and left her rapier? And a letter? "

Maddie quickly sat up and grabbed the letter. "A letter from London?" she repeated. Her eyes quickly scanned the page, and she shook her head.

"Impossible!" she bellowed, "London would never abandon this quest!"

"What does it say?" Sir Moseby said. He read it too, and said, "Turn back? That's absurd! Why would she go on ahead without us?"

"She didn't…" Cody said, emerging from his cocoon of blankets, his voice shaking and weak, "…she didn't pen that letter."

"What? What do you mean, Cody?" Sir Moseby and Maddie asked at the same time.

"Last night…London went for a walk…" Cody said, "and she was taken by bandits, and they forced her to pen this letter."

"What would happen if she didn't pen it?" Sir Moseby pressed on.

Cody gave Maddie a hard look. "Maddie wouldn't be standing here right now."

"What? Why?!" Maddie asked, shocked.

"Don't you feel that wound around your neck, Maddie? The bandit-assassin would have killed you had London not agreed to accept their terms." Cody said, regaining a bit of his confidence. "In other words…she did it for you."

Maddie's hand slowly crept up to her neck and felt the still-fresh wound. Cody was right—it was done to save her.

Maddie's lower lip quivered as the thought. _London went with them…for my sake…_

"What are we standing around here for? We have to get London!" Sir Moseby said, "they had a headstart! Move, men, move!"

Everyone moved quickly, not even thinking of breakfast.

Maddie quickly saddled her horse, still thinking. _If I see London again, I'll apologize for my behavior…_She quickly shook her head.

_Not If I see her again, I WILL see her again!_ Maddie thought, determination flashing across her face. _No matter what, come hell or high water!_

* * *

_**End Notes:**__ Waaah! 1,500+ hits for the month of August?! I wasn't expecting that, thanks you guys :) You've been enjoying "It's Just a Game"! Thanks so much for your continued support! It means so much to me! _


	12. Level 12: Not Giving Up

**Level 12: Not Giving Up**

The company was silent as they trudged the rest of the way towards the tunnel's end. No one can deny that London's silly chatter was missed, more so when she unintentionally makes a mindless statement. The only sounds being heard were the rippling of an underground spring.

Maddie winced at the thought. The underground spring was where London confessed her feelings for her. And Maddie remembered how heartlessly she lashed at London without even waiting for an explanation. Then again, wouldn't the "I-did-it-for-love" excuse explain all?

"Hey," Zack said, poking the glum cavalier, "don't be too hard on yourself. It's not your fault London was captured."

"Don't sugarcoat the truth, Zack." Sir Moseby said firmly, "it was Madeline's duty to guard Princess London. If the princess had a bout of insomnia that night, Madeline couldn't sleep until London does. Madeline's life is London's!"

Maddie's eyes widened at Sir Moseby's last statement. _My life is London's? _

"And furthermore," Sir Moseby huffed, "when we get back to Castle Tipton, I am surely asking the Queen Mother to replace London's personal cavalier."

Maddie's eyes met Sir Moseby's. The knight was steaming mad, and any angrier he would have had been breathing fire from his nostrils. Flinching at the thought, Maddie hung her head. "Yes, Sir. I understand I was inadequate in providing the protection of my liege."

"Good that you know!" Sir Moseby growled.

"Don't be so hard on Maddie, Sir Moseby," Cody pleaded, "it was my fault for not waking anyone up."

"Madeline should keep an eye on London 24/7, considering she's always been the curious type." Sir Moseby replied.

Something inside Maddie snapped, and she retorted, "It's not my fault at feeling uneasy! Sir Moseby, with all due respect, London's in love with me! She was acting so bizarre as of late, and out of the blue she tells me that she loves me!"

To Maddie's surprise, Sir Moseby remained his composure, not the least bit fazed by Maddie's outburst. "What is your problem, Madeline? Everybody in this group can see that you love London in return."

Maddie's jaw dropped, and she shook her head. "No…that's not true!" she denied.

But everyone gave her a stern look, and she sighed in defeat. "Well, maybe I do…but it's only as a friend."

"Well, whatever 'love' you have for London isn't going to cut it. If 'love' is what proves to be the main reason for your incompetence, it gives us all the more reason to replace you." Sir Moseby said.

Maddie remained silent, and everyone in the group viewed it as conversation over.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

London woke up, feeling weak and nauseous. The trek from the previous night didn't give her enough time to recharge her energy. She was sleepy, and the blinding light from whatever prison she was made it difficult to see.

"Where am I?" she thought out loud, getting up to a sitting position. "The last thing I remember was being in that cave…"

"London, is that you?" a voice called out.

London's eyes flew open, trying to remember whose voice it belonged to. Finally, she called out feebly, "Daddy? Is that you? Where are you?"

"London! I'm so glad you're safe." Wilfred Tipton exclaimed. "I was worried about you!"

"I'll bet you were," London mumbled under her breath. _Wow, Daddy's nice to me in the VR. If only Maddie could be as nice as he is…_

"Where are we?" London continued.

"This is Morte Island," Wilfred Tipton replied gravely, "where those who step in never step out." "Stop scaring me, daddy!" London pouted. "Use some of your money so we can get out of here! Pay the jailers! Pay the boatmen! Just don't use the new clean bills." London demanded.

Wilfred tried to stifle a laugh wondering what in the world was a "bill". But was successful in keeping his composure serious. "It's not as easy as you think, princess." "Why, daddy? Aren't you the king in this game? Can't you order these people to set you free?" London waved a hand towards the squadrons of guards below their suspended cages.

"They're the Black Ace, and they're looking for the essence of something called the royal youth of fates." Wilfred tried to explain. "They started trying to get the willpower of other princes and princesses in the surrounding cities, but their trail eventually led to you. I tried to stop them, but they proved too powerful for me and my platoon."

Before Wilfred could fully explain to his adorable yet dim-witted daughter, a guard opened London's cage. "London Tipton, come with us."

"Can't my daddy come too?" London asked, thinking that she was about to be free.

The guard looked at Wilfred, and then shook a negative. "The leader would like to see you alone."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

"End of the line…" Cody whispered as a huge boulder blocked their path. "Even with our combined force, it won't be enough to push this rock away from the exit."

"Perhaps we should try finding another route?" Carey suggested.

"Hold up a second," Zack said, "I see a keyhole."

The group huddled around, and sure enough, they saw a keyhole in the bottom-right corner of the boulder.

"Let me try to pick it." Zack offered. The thief got on his knees and began using a lockpick. After a few minutes, though, he gave up. "Cody, why don't you try? There are several carvings around the keyhole, maybe you can decipher it."

Cody cast a small fire spell and began examining the odd carvings on the stone. But he, too, was unable to read it.

Carey, Maddie, and even Sir Moseby tried, all to no avail.

"Hack-ach-ach-ach!" came an all too familiar laugh, "all your crawling around in ze dust vill help nothing."

"Ilsa?" Sir Moseby queried.

"You've guessed right, Sir Mozeby. I must zey, vou have exceeded my approximated time of reaching ze end of viz tunnel. Iz someone in your group missing?" Ilsa taunted, throwing her head back in an ear-splitting laugh.

With every movement of Ilsa, the diamond bounced across her chest, sending reflections of red all across the tunnel's wall.

Zack tried inching towards Ilsa unnoticed, intent on keeping his end of the bargain with London. However, someone beat him to it.

Maddie was in pure fury, grabbing Ilsa by the neck. "Where's London, you madwoman?!" Maddie growled, her eyes blazing with fury. "I know your group took her. I know that you know something. Speak up before I run my lance through your chest!"

Ilsa gagged and flailed helplessly.

"What's that? You can't speak?" Maddie taunted. "Maybe before the end of the day, the 'Black Ace' will lose a member of theirs too. Say your prayers, you hag!"

Ilsa was moving her lips to some sort of incantation, and before Maddie knew it, the sage teleported herself away. "Darn it!" Maddie hissed as all she held was thin air. "She disappeared…" she mumbled. "She disappeared! Damn it! I let her get away!"

Maddie began sobbing, "I'm a total failure. I can't protect London or even kill Ilsa. I really deserve to be punished when we get back to the Tipton!"

Everyone gathered around, trying to comfort the cavalier. But Maddie seemed oblivious to their presence. "Alright! I confess to whatever divinities abide here, I love London as well! Just let her live, please! Even if we don't get to be lovers…even if she forgets all about this adventure…just let her live! If she dies…all our efforts will be naught!"

"Stop that nonsense, Madeline! You're giving me a headache!" Sir Moseby groaned. "Quit your bawling…and as for your confession, just tell it to London herself! She's a tough princess, she won't go down easily!"

"Sir Moseby is right, Maddie," Carey said, "look what that scatterbrain left."

Maddie's eyes, still blurry from her hysterical bawling, took awhile to adjust to the item Carey held in her hand. It was a key, with the exact same hieroglyphs on the keyhole's sides.

"The key…" Maddie said, reaching for it.

"Mm-hm. That's right. We still have a chance. Don't let these recent events put you down. We should never give up." Carey encouraged, patting Maddie's back.

Maddie smiled back, and slipped the key into the keyhole. As soon as they turned the key, they were greeted by the warmth of the over world sunshine.

"Morte Island…" Sir Moseby mouthed, "…the Island of Death."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

London winced as a black-cloaked figure moved closer.

"This is indeed her, the royal youth. We need her essence to resurrect our fallen troops in battle." A voice spoke from beneath the hood, sounding as if he came from the grave.

London was too scared to say anything. Not that she had a choice, her mouth was gagged. Before she could even blink, cold, clammy fingers touched her forehead and tried to extract her soul. London felt herself getting sleepy, but fought fiercely to stay awake. Whatever this guy was trying to do, it was obviously malevolent.

As she was about to give up, the same voice said, "Her willpower is too strong, take her back to the cages. That could weaken her resolve and make it easier to get her spirit."

The last thing a semi-conscious London felt was hitting the cold steel floor of her previous cage.

* * *

_**End Notes:**__ Well, this is a boring chapter, I know. But it is a major step in the plot! Will Maddie's group make it in time? Or will they be too late? Maddie finally confesses to the entire company, but not to the person who needs to hear it the most. Sit tight until the next update! (I'll try to get it up ASAP)._

_Thanks to all readers and reviewers! :)_

_P.S. I'm so happy! Lots of Londie stories keep popping up! But on the other hand, I'm quite glum that the Hotel gang isn't complete in the upcoming Suite Life on Deck. It's just not the same without Maddie…_


	13. Level 13: Leaving the Island

**Level 13: Leaving the Island**

Maddie's eyes took a while to adjust to the sunlight after two days underground. Morte Island was indeed living up to its name. Bones of every shape and size littered the island. Skeletons of dragons, fragments of some unidentified parts, and chillingly, skulls.

Maddie shivered as she took it all in, but pushed aside the feelings of repulse by thinking of London. It pained her greatly to know that they separated (albeit forcibly) by ill will. Aside from that, it was also because she was separated from the only non-virtuafied person in this "game".

Her thoughts were broken by Zack's voice. "Heads up, guys. An army is headed this way." Before they knew it, a horde of black-armored knights, cavaliers and mages surrounded them. Leading them was Ilsa.

"So this is where you run off to," Sir Moseby smirked, "you couldn't wait to die?"

"Vat? Zir Moseby, I believe I should ask vat question to you." Ilsa replied. "But let's not get zo touchy, we are merely supposed to hold you off until noon. By zen, our leader should have finished the extraction process."

"Extraction process? Of what?" Maddie demanded.

Ilsa's lips curled to a sadistic smile. "You'll all know in due time."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

On the very top of Morte Island's steepest cliff stood The Leader, as he was simply known. He was still trying all he knew to get the best of London. "Once I end your miserable life, I can harness your body's power to make my army invincible. From this despicable island, our influence will spread, and we will rule the world!" He laughed.

London didn't respond , the entire ordeal she went through took its toll on her body, leaving her a shadow of her former self. She went into a coma-like state, her willpower finally broken.

"I believe that you won't give me much trouble this time, hmmm?" The Leader said, preparing one last try to end London's life. Before he could lay a hand on her, however, he felt a piercing pain on his back. "Wha-what?!" he said, noticing the blood trickle down his robe, "Who did this?!"

"Don't lay a hand on my daughter!" Wilfred ordered, revealing hidden daggers he stole from a sleeping guard. Using them he broke free of his cage and was able to fatally stab the enemy from behind. "You-you still aren't weak enough yet?!" the Leader howled, throbbing with pain.

The Leader limped over to King Tipton, trying to wrestle the knife from his hand. He cornered the king to the edge of the cliff. "Prepare to die, miserable wretch!" he growled, preparing a spell.

King Tipton took the chance—and stabbed the Leader deep into the heart. "It all ends now!" he said. The Leader gave one last roar with his dying breath. However, the finished spell hit the king, knocking him unconscious next to his daughter.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Maddie's group wasn't faring well down at the island; these soldiers were much more experienced than the ones they encountered at Sienne. "They have higher levels," Cody gasped, narrowly dodging a javelin, "therefore giving them higher stat bonuses."

"I can see that," Maddie replied, using her already dented shield, "but we must press on towards the Ilsa. Perhaps, if we defeat her, the soldiers will surrender as well."

"Yeah, I hope so!" Zack mumbled, "These guys are finishing up my supplies!"

Carey's songs were doing little to help the group, the enemy's numbers was simply overpowering. Even the great Sir Moseby was using up more Healing Salves than he thought hewould.

After taking too many hits, Maddie's shield finally gave in, turning to a powdery red dust. "Oh, great!" she groaned, "I'm defenseless now!"

A paladin, seeing an opening, rushed towards Maddie with a Halberd. He knocked Maddie off her horse, and tried to chop off her head. Maddie was using a steel lance, and knew it was probably a matter of minutes before it was game over. She tried to buy herself some time by using the lance to block the axe from cutting through her neck.

But it was apparent that the lance was ready to break at any moment. Maddie closed her eyes and prepared for the inevitable. But a few moments later, she felt the force of the axe disappear, and dust seemed to be showering on her.

Maddie opened her eyes, and was surprised to see the entire army of the Black Ace turning to dust. "Wha—what's happening?" she asked, dumbfounded.

"I wonder," Cody said, picking up a handful of dust and sifting it through his fingers.

"Perhaps we would find the answer together with London?" Sir Moseby asked, motioning towards the now unguarded door leading to the topmost part of the island. Everybody nodded and dashed up the stairs.

Everyone but Zack. Normally, the thief would have collected the loot on the battlefield, but now he was looking for one specific item. Zack poked around the doorway, trying to find where Ilsa would have stood.

"Alright," he whispered, recognizing the colorful robes of Ilsa lying in her dust. He sifted through the dusty remains and found the red diamond, smiling as he pocketed it. London's end of the bargain was kept, after all.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Arriving at the top of the cliff, the group surveyed the scene.

"King Tipton!" Sir Moseby exclaimed, rushing over to his liege, "Sire, are you alright? Can you walk?"

"S-sir Moseby?" the king rasped, gathering his last bit of strength to speak, "the Leader of the Black…Ace…his death resulted…in the death of his men…take care…of…London…"

The king fainted, and Carey checked his pulse. "Thank goodness, he's still alive. However, we have to bind his wounds and look for London."

"Not really," Zack said, jerking his thumb to where London sat, "looks like she's happy to see us." All heads turned towards the direction Zack pointed at. In a split second, Maddie was beside her friend.

"Thank the gods you're OK, London!" Maddie cried, wrapping London in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry how I treated you back at the camp, I promise to make it up to you…" Maddie whispered, tears flowing freely.

After a few moments, there was still no movement or even the slightest hint of a reaction from London. "London, I know you're angry at me, but please, won't you try to say something? Anything?" Maddie pleaded, a hint of worry edging her voice.

Still no response. "London, answer me!!" Maddie said, starting to get anxious.

Cody examined London's form. He checked her pulse as well and was relieved to find she was alive as well. "She's most likely in shock," he reported, "We have to get her and the king to the castle for medical treatment as soon as possible."

Zack, Cody and Sir Moseby immediately scouted around for materials to make a wagon to hitch into Maddie's horse. While waiting, Maddie stroked London's hair. "I'm sorry," she mumbled again, "I wasn't there when you needed me most. I really don't deserve to be with you."

"Cheer up, Maddie," Carey consoled, "I'll try to look up in the ancient songs for an aria to heal the mind as well as the body. There must be a book hidden away in the castle library."

"Thanks, Carey," Maddie forced a smile.

_I swear if London will be restored, I care not what happens to me, as long as she is happy…_Maddie vowed.

"Guys, the wagon's ready!" Zack called.

Carey and Maddie scrambled to their feet and gently carried London to the wagon, while Zack and Sir Moseby lifted the king. Cody hitched Maddie's horse to the cart and gave the horse a gentle slap to get started.

As they walked towards the tunnel, Zack commented, "Ugh, only half-a-day in this place, and I'm already sick of it. I can't wait to get back to the castle."

"Yeah, you are right. This place is giving me the creeps." Cody agreed, watching the Leader's dust blow away. "I don't think we'll ever need to go back here, since we found what we came for."

* * *

_**End Notes: **__The company finally finds the king! Obviously, this isn't the end of their struggle yet. They will soon learn that the greatest danger could probably be lurking back in the castle._

_Hmmm…yeah, looking back at the last chapter, it _did _seemed pretty rushed. It's amazing how a writer's mood can show up on the story, since I didn't feel in tip-top last time. No offense taken! I'm not killing any constructive critic; their suggestions are as good as positive reviews. _

_I hope this chapter made up for whatever blunders the last one placed. Again, readers and reviewers, you have my heartfelt thanks. _


	14. Level 14: Unexpected Opposition

**Level 14: Unexpected Opposition**

Three days and two nights, that was how long it took to walk from the tunnel back to Castle Sienne. And after spending a night resting in the castle, Maddie and company spent another three days straight trying to get to Castle Tipton as soon as possible.

At last, turrets in sight, the group found that they accomplished this mission.

"Guards!" Sir Moseby ordered, "We need help here!"

Suddenly dozens of guards, almost impossible to imagine they could all fit in the castle, rushed to help. "Help the king! Help the princess!" The word was passed to every guard to lend a hand.

Maddie was pushed away by the raging surge of humanity, and she soon lost sight of London. "Thank you, cavalier Madeline, for loaning us your steed." The captain of the Cavalier Platoon said. "It was nothing," Maddie whispered. The captain gave her a crisp salute and returned to his men.

Maddie sighed. A dumb salute meant nothing to her. What would mean most to her now would to be next to London. But of course, Sir Moseby wouldn't allow that. Maddie turned towards the castle and trudged towards the barracks. Maybe later, the hubbub would die down and she could arrange a visit with London.

Sir Moseby approached the crestfallen cavalier. "It's alright, Madeline. I won't report your…misdemeanor with the Queen Mother yet. Let's wait until London recovers so she can have her side of the story first. But still, I forbid you to see her until she wakes."

Maddie's heart fell to her stomach. So much for hoping to see London.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Owls hooted from their lofty perches, signaling it to be nighttime. The only light was available from the moon.

_I must have slept longer than I expected, _Maddie thought. She picked up her lance and stepped out into the fresh air. After trying a few practice thrusts, she couldn't take it anymore. All the practices in the world couldn't and wouldn't take away what was on her mind—London.

_I've got to see her, _Maddie thought, determined. _If I don't, I might go crazy!_

Maddie pressed against the wall and snuck around until she made it to the cellars. If she were lucky, she would find the correct trapdoor leading to London's room. She tried remembering and associating the trapdoors with the floor above. The first one would lead to the kitchen, then to the left would be the conference room, a bit father down was the front hall. There was one left, and Maddie crossed her fingers hoping it would be the right one.

"If I remember correctly," Maddie mused, "London's trapdoor would…be…here!"

She gave a mighty shove and the trapdoor gave way. Maddie crawled out and took a deep breath. She soon wished she hadn't…it was the smell of ancient potions and ethers almost made her want to pass out.

Cody looked up with a start, and broke into a big grin.

"Maddie!" he whispered, giving her a hug, "I'm glad you're here!"

"I'm glad you're the watch," Maddie replied, rolling her eyes. "If it were Sir Moseby, I'm sure he'd really blow his top with me."

"Sir Moseby doesn't watch London," Cody informed her, earning a sigh of relief from Maddie. "He's almost always with the Queen, I mean, he's her most trusted adviser. He's giving the latest feedback from our mission."

"How's the king?" Maddie continued.

"His wounds are deep, but he's pretty stable," Cody reported, "he should wake up maybe in two, three weeks."

"Thank goodness." Maddie said. "But London? How is she?"

Cody looked down at the ground, not answering. "Cody?" Maddie pressed, "How…how's London? You have to tell me!"

Cody sighed, "I could never rake up the courage to stand up to you, Maddie."

He went on. "The trauma she went through took a real big toll on her mental health. Physically, she's fine, only a few bruises here and there, but…she's not responding. To no one, nothing."

"Oh…" Maddie said sadly, stroking London's hair. Looking at the unconscious London, it seemed as if she was just sleeping. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing peacefully. "But it looks like she's just asleep."

"Try shouting or something, poke her, whatever, she's not going to respond." Cody told her.

"How about if I try to sing…?" Maddie asked.

"You sing?" Cody almost laughed out loud, but seeing how serious she was, he remained his composure. "Alright, well, what can it hurt?"

Maddie sat on a chair at London's bedside and began humming a tune. Cody didn't really know what it was, but the melody enchanted him. And deep down, he felt it was the words Maddie bottled up in her, wanting to tell London all this time.

He paused and listened intently the song:

_I'm not alone  
Even when we're apart I feel you  
In the air  
(yeah)  
I'm not afraid  
I know what you're thinkin'  
I can hear you everywhere_

Maddie paused, and managed to say, "I hope you can hear me too, London." She kissed London's hand as she continued.

_Some people say it'll never happen  
And we're just wasting time  
But good things come when you least expect them  
So I don't really mind  
_

"Sir Moseby…and Mr. Moseby…back home," she whispered, "would never approve of our relationship, but we'll overcome, eh London?"

_We'll be together come whatever  
Not just staring at the stars  
Just remember  
That no one else could tell us who we are  
We'll be together so don't ever  
Stop listening to your heart  
Cuz I can't turn mine up  
Oohhh (yeah, yeah) ohhh  
_

Maddie stopped, and tried to continue despite the wave of emotions running through her. This song proved to be much more than a simple tune, it was more like a promise to London. The lyrics summed up her feelings perfectly. Fortunately, Maddie was able to limp through the rest of the song, and sang the chorus one last time:

_We'll be together come whatever  
Not just staring at the stars  
Just remember  
That no one else could tell us who we are  
We'll be together so don't ever  
Stop listening to your heart  
Cuz I can't turn mine up  
Oohhh oh yeah, yeah  
(we'll be together come whatever, come whatever, come whatever, come whatever)  
Ahh ohhh  
__  
__I'm not alone  
Even when we're apart I feel you¹_

As the last of the song faded away, Maddie could have sworn London squeezed her hand a little bit tighter. Her heart lfted, and the next thing she heard was Cody was silently applauding her. "You do sing well, Maddie," he praised, "I hope it will make London feel better."

Maddie smiled and mouthed, "I hope so, too."

Before they could carry on, clanking metal had them to their feet. "It may be Sir Moseby!" Cody said, panic in his eyes, "you better go!"

The sound of armor didn't stop at London's room, though, and it was soon apparent that it wasn't Sir Moseby. Maddie sighed in relief, but Cody said, "You have to go. What if he's the next one? You won't be so lucky this time."

Maddie agreed with Cody, and reluctantly nudged away London's hand. "I'll visit you every night," Maddie promised, "wait for me till then." Kissing her on the cheek, Maddie gave one last longing look at London before turning to Cody.

"Well, Cody, I'm off." She said, trying to delay her re-entry into the dank cellar as much as possible.

Cody sensed her apprehension, and suggested, "Why don't you use the back door? I'll tell the cooks that it's chowtime for you soldiers."

"Thanks, Cody," Maddie said gratefully, relieved that Cody helped her out in a jam.

"No problem." Cody nodded.

As they passed the royal hall, they heard the unmistakable voice of Sir Moseby.

"Am I hearing correctly?! M'Queen, I beg you to reconsider!" Sir Moseby was saying.

"There is no more time," the Queen said, "with King Tipton recovering, I make decisions in his stead. The king of Regis promised me that it would greatly improve the stability of our kingdoms if I wed London to his son, Prince Mark."

Maddie's and Cody's eyes grew wide, and they pressed their ears against the door to hear more.

"But you know that King Tipton would never approve of London entering an arranged marriage if she does not approve with the young prince. King Tipton values London's happiness above anything else. Besides, she's still in a coma, for goodness' sake!" Sir Moseby rebutted.

"Are you arguing with me, your Queen? Do I have to remind you even if you are King Tipton's personal bodyguard (and an undoubtedly faithful one at that), it means your words override mine? What is London to me? She is but a tool in securing a kingdom's peace…and wealth."

Maddie gritted her teeth. How could someone think of London so low? Had she been in there right now, she would have punched that insensitive mother of London's in the gut.

"My Queen, she is sick. Why are you so hasty?" came Sir Moseby's pleading tone.

"Right now, the king of Regis is preparing the wedding at the end of this week. That is why I want London as presentable as possible! She doesn't have to speak, all we have to do is to make her look healthy, and all is fine."

Maddie could have sworn the smirk on the Queen's face. So that's all she thought of London, her own flesh and blood?

Before she could ponder any more, she heard Sir Moseby stomping away . "Sir Moseby! Halt! Where are you going!?" the Queen screeched.

"I have nothing more to say to you." Came the icy voice of Sir Moseby.

Maddie and Cody stood to attention as the knight appeared. "Well, what do we have here?" Sir Moseby asked, "Two spies, I see. Madeline, what are you doing here?"

Sir Moseby's tone was stern, but his face was etched with relief. "Nothing, Sir Moseby." Maddie lied. Sir Moseby glanced at her for a moment and chose to override her lie.

"I take back what I said earlier, Madeline. Would you help me find a way to regain London's senses? The king would never approve of such a forced union." Sir Moseby said. "And yes, that means you will be seeing London any time you wish…without sneaking around and of course."

Maddie's face broke in a grin. "Yes, sir!" she answered.

"Good lass," Sir Moseby nodded. "And you, Cody! Round up Carey and your brother. We have a wedding to sabotage."

_**

* * *

**_

**End Notes: **_Thank goodness I'm back in my league. Now I can focus more on Londie, since this will be centering more on London's upcoming marriage! How will Maddie, Sir Moseby, and the twins snap back either London or King Tipton back to their senses? Stay tuned! _

_And to reviewers: _

_**KittySquyres:**__ **accepts cookie:** munch! :)  
__Nah,I don't go around shooting constructive critics. That's too narrow-minded for any author to do. Besides, it keeps me on track instead of "Jumping the Shark", so to speak. As for your question…uhm…I dunno? :D _

_**Lodylodylody:**__ thanks for the review! Did this answer your question?  
_

_**whatever123:**__ I can't wait too :)_

_And to all readers/reviewers: Thanks for continually supporting this! The exciting conclusion draws near…u__ntil the next chapter!_

_**Notes:  
**__**¹**__The song is Ashley Tisdale's "We'll Be Together". I like to imagine it being quite slower in this story to keep it sentimental.  
__I didn't put the complete lyrics because it's going to be really space consuming and I didn't want to make this sound like a songfic. I just placed a bit of it because, well, Maddie needed a song to sing to London! Lawl :D And of course, it had a nice message pertaining to the both of them. _


	15. Level 15: The First Move

**Level 15: The First Move**

Cody ran as fast as he could to the Visitor's Hall. Locating Zack's room, he began pounding on the door. "Zack, open up! Open up, you lazy bag of bones!"

It took lots of pounding and a couple of kicks to rouse Zack. His hair was all mussed up, and he didn't seem to be in the mood for a suitable conversation. "Cody, tomorrow is my night to be watching London." He groaned, "let me get some sleep."

"Yeah, Cody," Carey mumbled, awakened by the commotion caused by her other son. "What's the big deal?"

"It's important!" Cody urged. "Zack, grab the diamond you got for London." "Why?" Zack muttered. "She's out of it to appreciate the beauty of the diamond."

"That's exactly why we want it," Cody explained, "The diamond might wake her up."

"Why would you want to break her out of her coma?" Carey questioned.

"Grab the diamond and I'll explain to you guys on the way to Sir Moseby." Cody replied.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Zack dropped the diamond in London's hand. He and Carey learned of the devious plot devised by the Queen Mother, and they agreed that this was indeed a serious situation. Now, Zack was trying to get London to "feel" the diamond in case it may awaken her senses and bring her back to consciousness.

A few minutes later, though, Zack's shoulders drooped. "It's not working," he announced dejectedly, "she's still not waking up."

"What if we let Maddie give it to her?" Carey suggested. "After all, Maddie, you said that she reacted a bit when you sang."

A glimmer of hope rose within Maddie. "Alright," she agreed, taking the diamond from Zack, "let me try."

Maddie placed the diamond on London's palm and closed it. She put her hands over London's, praying in her heart that somehow it would get her to respond. Unfortunately, she had the same result as Zack. "It's not working," Maddie said.

Sir Moseby frowned. "This is really a peculiar illness upon London," he mused. "It deals more with the mental state than the physical. Lady Carey, do you not think you can sing one of your ancient arias to London? Perhaps it can restore her mind."

"I'll try," Carey said. She began chanting an old aria, but to no avail. By the end of the song, London had no change. "It's no good." Carey frowned. "I haven't come across a traumatized individual before, either."

"We rushed into this war unprepared," Sir Moseby announced. "I suggest we all call it a day and try to research on this illness. By Wednesday, let's pool in our findings and try it on London. After all, the wedding is on Sunday."

"That's a good idea, Sir Moseby." Maddie agreed.

"Right," Zack agreed, retrieving the diamond. "I'll hold on to this baby for safekeeping. As for the research, I'll get at it tomorrow."

"Yes, we all need our sleep." Carey said, patting Maddie on the back. "Honey, you get some sleep too. You can't go anywhere moping around like that."

"Thanks, Carey." Maddie smiled a bit. She turned away to head to the barracks. It would be a long day.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Monday morning found the gang in different areas of the castle. Sir Moseby talked with his military friends asking if they had a similar condition, or knew of anyone who had it.

Carey asked several Arcane Singers if they knew of a chant to heal the body and mind.

Zack and Cody pored over the library, and Maddie asked the medical and science staff if they knew of any breakthrough.

By the end of Wednesday, though, everyone was still in a rut. Sir Moseby called for a conference in a local pub not far from the castle. "How was everyone's research?" he asked.

"Several of my friends at the local choir haven't learned any arias of that level," Carey sighed. "The farthest they knew of is deadening the pain of a person."

"Same here," Maddie agreed, "the doctors in the medical ward were tightlipped, and they wouldn't tell me a thing. The scientists brushed me off, saying if they knew the cure, they would have tried it on London a long time ago."

"How about you, Zack and Cody?" Sir Moseby asked.

"Not too good," Zack muttered, munching half-heartedly on a piece of chicken, "Cody and I have been in that library all day, I memorized a shelf's worth of titles!" "Yeah," Cody nodded. "But what's strange is the fact that the library's Medical Section was bare. Not one book on treating wounds. It's like…someone took all of them."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

**At a Secret Room behind the Stables:**

"So, a little band of renegades plan to sabotage the wedding, do they?" the Queen mother queried, "this ought to be interesting, especially since that Sir Moseby turned traitor."

"Is there anything else that need to be done?" the officer asked. "We've fulfilled all you've commanded. I told the medical team not to disclose any information on the illness, told the librarian to clear away the medical books, and ordered my men not to speak about it. Do you require anything else?"

"The last thing I need you to do is to carry London to the secret room until Sunday, the day of the wedding." The Queen Mother said. "If, by some lucky coincidence they find the cure—which they won't, it will still be useless since the next time they see London, it's going to be at the altar, and no one can interfere with the wedding."

"Understood, m'Queen." The officer stood up and whipped up a crisp salute, "I'll have my leave."

As the officer was about to leave, they heard a clink of metal, like tools knocked together. "What was that?!" the Queen howled. "Check the stables!"

The officer whipped up his torch and headed out, only to find restless horses snorting and pawing the grounds. Breathing a sigh of relief, he faced the queen once again. "It's only the horses, your highness." He announced. The Queen nodded left to return to the castle.

Checking that the Queen was out of sight, the "officer" took off his helmet and fixed up his mussed hair, which was easy since there wasn't much. "Can't believe she fell for my disguise," Arwin chuckled as he returned to his regular clothes. "With antics like this, I could have been in the military!"

Turning to the unconscious soldier on the ground, Arwin said, "Sorry buddy, nothing personal. It's just that I have a couple of friends to save."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

**Back at the pub**…

"The outlook is bleak on my end too," Sir Moseby confessed, "my military friends aren't telling me anything useful as well."

Everyone sighed, and silence hung over them like a heavy cloud. "We've only got three more days," Maddie moaned, "If we don't find something by then, we're going to lose London."

"We'll find something, Maddie, don't you worry." Carey encouraged.

Before Maddie could say something in return, the clomping of boots boomed across the pub. "Carey!" a happy voice said, "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Oh no," Carey rolled her eyes, "it's not who I think it is…"

"ARWIN!" the twins said, greeting him. "Have a seat, ol' buddy! We haven't seen you in a while since mom left in her entertainment career." "Yeah," Arwin grinned, plopping on a seat next to Carey. "I was hoping to find Sir Moseby, and finding you with them is just super lucky for me!" he rejoiced.

"What are you doing here, Arwin?" Carey asked, her voice a dangerous staccato.

"Well, I, uh, really, it's…" Arwin stuttered.

"If it's about asking me to go out with you again, forget it." Carey sighed.

"Actually, my news is for Sir Moseby and Maddie," Arwin said.

"Is it now?" Sir Moseby asked. "Well, out with it, Arwin."

Arwin's voice dropped to a whisper. "The Queen knows of your opposition, Sir. She made her first move; it seems, by hushing up the medical staff and clearing out the library. She had plans made to move London to a secret room and to only be revealed at the wedding!"

"What!" Sir Moseby hissed, "that crafty vixen! We have to beat her at her own game!"

* * *

_**End Notes:**__ The Queen gets wind of Maddie and co.'s plans! What is the next move she plans to do?_

_Of course, a hearty thanks to my readers and reviewers! _


	16. Level 16: Outsmarted

**Level 16: Outsmarted **

Maddie blinked and sat up. _Morning already? _She thought, trying to remember the past events of last night.

After Arwin told them about the news, Sir Moseby sighed and called it a day. It was getting late, and they needed time to think about their next course of action. Maddie strapped on her armor and headed out into the sunshine. No matter what opposition stood between them, be it in the real world or this one, she would help London, no matter what.

"Madeline! Cavalier Madeline!" a squire headed towards her, "The Queen wants to see you at once."

Maddie quirked an eyebrow, but wisely chose not to question the summons. After all, she and her friends were playing in the Queen's grounds now, so it would be wise not to do anything rash or impulsive.

Maddie walked into the hallway and almost ran into Carey, Zack, and Cody. "Hey guys!" Maddie said, happy to see them, hoping that they would accompany her.

"Want to come with me? The 'Queen'," Maddie almost spat out the word, "wants to see me."

"Sorry, Maddie," Carey sighed, "she already summoned us."

"Really? What did she say?" Maddie asked.

"We were ordered to move out of the castle pronto unless we want our heads off." Zack replied.

"What?! Where are you going to stay?!" Maddie lamented.

Carey reached out a sympathetic hand. "Don't worry, Maddie. You should be looking out for yourself. We'll be fine, there's a small village not far away. We'll come and see you sometime."

"But what about London?" Maddie whispered.

"Don't worry, we won't give up." Cody piped up, trying to sound positive. "But you watch out for yourself."

"That's just their secret way of saying we'll meet up on Saturday evening." Zack whispered to Maddie's ear. "Being overly eager will only lead the guards to tighten their watch on us."

Maddie nodded. "I understand. I'll be seeing you around, then."

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Maddie walked into the throne room and bowed down respectfully before the queen, even if she didn't _feel _respectful at the moment.

"Ah, Madeline." The Queen greeted the blonde.

"Yes, your highness?" Maddie semi-hissed, thankful she was facing the ground and not the queen. Had Maddie looked on that smug face, she would have run her lance through that damned queen.

"I hear you're one of the best soldiers of Sir Moseby." The Queen said.

_What's it to you?_ Maddie would have wanted to answer. But, retaining her politeness, she answered, "You're—too kind—your majesty."

"I hear there is a commotion in Byre Fortress. I want to you to prove your worth by quelling the attack and report to me at once." The Queen ordered. "Here is the route to the fortress." With a wave of her hand the Queen ordered a soldier to hand Maddie a map to Fortress Byre.

"Thank you, your majesty." Maddie replied tonelessly.

As Maddie stood to leave, the Queen mother added a few more words. "Oh, don't worry," "I beg your pardon, your highness?" Maddie queried.

"You're already invited to the wedding." She smirked. "Don't be late or you won't have that reserved spot next to the squad's horses.

It took all of Maddie's self-control not to murder the Queen then and there.

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"So what did the Queen tell you?" Carey asked.

Maddie shrugged carelessly. "To stop some uprising in Fortress Byre. No big deal, the map shows that it's going to be only about half a day."

"That's good, then." Carey agreed, "Well, the meeting's set for Saturday night. Don't forget!"

"I sure won't." Maddie assured the Arcane singer.

Carey smiled and bid Maddie farewell.

**Three Days Later:**

"A day's worth, huh?" Maddie scowled. "It's already Saturday! The wedding is _tomorrow!_ Is this map trying to mislead me?!"

Maddie scrutinized the map, and nothing seemed wrong with it. _I guess even my sense of direction is failing me,_ she moaned, _I can't even follow simple directions!_

"What in the world?" Maddie exclaimed as she entered Byre Fortress. It was as peaceful as a spring day. Except for the soldiers bustling about, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hello there, soldier!" Maddie beckoned to a watch, "is there any sign of an enemy? Of unusual activities?"

"None at all, ma'am!" the scout replied, "except for the bandit raids, which are easy to control, there has been nothing unusual."

"No sign of an invasion? A war?" Maddie prodded on.

"Negative!" he exclaimed.

"OK…am I at Byre Fortress?" Maddie asked, showing the soldier the map, "the queen told me that it takes only half-day's time to arrive here."

The soldier glanced at the map, and chuckled slightly. "Well, it seems as if the queen gave you the longer route. This is the path we use if the main one is blocked or under construction."

Maddie threw her lance at the ground full force. "I've been tricked again!"

The soldiers in the fort didn't know the reason for Maddie's outrage, but they knew she was dead serious. Without even stopping to rest, Maddie jumped on her steed. Giving the horse two kicks on the side, the enraged cavalier flew on full speed.

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"Is she here yet?" Carey asked worriedly. It was already Sunday, the day of the wedding. When Maddie and Sir Moseby both failed to show up at the Saturday night rendezvous, the Martin family knew something was wrong.

"This is insane," Zack muttered. "We are being cooked in our own oil."

"In any case, I hope even one of them shows up soon…" Cody said worriedly, checking his sundial. "the wedding starts in 15 minutes."

"Has any of you seen London before the ceremony?" Carey asked her twins. They shook their heads a negative.

"That's too bad. I bribed Arwin to snoop around the library and get me a music score of an ancient aria. It's practically useless unless I sing it to London." Carey sighed.

"Maybe we can sing it to London at the ceremony?" Cody suggested.

A few more minutes ticked by, and no sign of Sir Moseby, Maddie, London, or even Arwin. "I pray we can still hope to save the day somehow…" Zack said as they walked into the cathedral.

The Martin family took their seats at the very back. A squadron of guards stood at their sides, and to make matters worse, the official Tipton chorale stood at the ready. Cody sighed. "So much for your _bright _ideas, brother."

_**End Notes:**__ The conclusion is coming up! :)_


	17. Endgame: The Way to the Heart

**Endgame: The Way to the Heart**

"…_Into this union Princess London of Castle Tipton and Mark of Castle Regis now come to be joined…" _the minister solemnly intoned.

Cody and Zack were gnawing on their nails and sitting at the edge of their seats. With guards on every end, there was possibly no way of dashing down the aisle. The formalities, the entourage, the participants…and Sir Moseby and Maddie still didn't arrive.

The Martin family was getting nervous. Perhaps all their efforts may be going to waste.

"…_If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed..."_

Even Arwin was mopping up bucketfuls of sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

"…_speak now, or else forever…"_

Before the minister could finish his last sentence, a stallion charged into the center of the aisle. "I object!" Maddie announced.

"… _hold your peace." _The minister squeaked out the last of his words, startled into silence by the turquoise-clad cavalier, the sheen sweat glistening on her golden locks like a halo.

"I object, your honor." Maddie repeated, stepping down from her horse and walking down the aisle. Immediately, guards formed a crisscross, blocking her path.

"Let her pass," the Queen Mother smirked, obviously amused. "let's see what she has to say."

The guards cleared the path, and Maddie walked over to the unconscious London. "I'm so sorry," she whispered kneeling down in front of London. "Along the way, I realized that I should never have left your side and caused all this. I should have thought of this a long time ago."

Maddie took London's hands in hers, and pulled in for a deep kiss.

The crowd gasped in horror, seeing the forbidden courtly love right in front of the very altar.

Maddie closed her eyes and waited in bated breath, and suddenly a stinging pain spread across her cheek. "OW!" she exclaimed, rubbing the sore part. "What the…?!"

"You PERV!" London shouted, suddenly waking up as if nothing happened to her during the past week, "HOW DARE YOU KISS THE GREAT LONDON SO CANDILY?!"

_It worked!_ Maddie laughed quietly. "Don't you mean…'candidly', London?"

"Ohmigosh…" London said, "Maddie…was it you? Was it you who kissed me?"

"Yes, it was. And this is all I get?" Maddie teased.

"Well, you rejected it the first time," London said, verifying her actions. "Besides, I was seeing stars! What happened to me? I felt like I've been beauty napping a long, long time."

"It's been only a week," Maddie said.

"Oh…but what am I doing here? Who's that dude? And why's my mom all red?" London asked innocently.

The Queen Mother was obviously enraged that London was back to her consciousness. "Wedding crashers! Guards, take them!"

"Whoa! Wait, if this is a wedding, then can't I wed the one I love?" London objected, halting the guards in their steps. A few murmurs rippled through the crowd, signaling their agreement. "You do love me now, do you Maddie?" London asked brightly.

"I do, princess, I do." Maddie replied, smiling at London's swift forgiveness of her past actions.

"Well, it's all settled then! Go away, shoo!" London tried shooing Prince Mark off his ceremonial chair. "I don't want you, who said I did? I don't even know you!"

"Even if I do allow you to marry here," the Queen Mother called, getting down from her throne, "who will officiate your wedding? Who will allow such union in the kingdom?"

Maddie and London turned around and saw the minister hurriedly packing his supplies. London gave Maddie a "what-do-we-do-now?" look. Maddie, too, seemed like a loss of plans for once. As they were about give up, another voice spoke up.

"I will." Everyone's head turned, and saw the king in full formal regalia join the star-crossed lovers at the altar.

"The King, the king!" every guard in the room immediately knelt to their liege.

"So, I see that the rumors are true," King Tipton said, joining his daughter at the altar. "The queen has been taking advantage of my illness."

The queen was in shock, she couldn't utter a few words more than, "How did you…why did…what did…who did…?"

"Make some sense of yourself, or be quiet, woman!" King Tipton ordered. Facing his citizens, he said, "To answer your question, Lady Carey was gracious enough to chant a healing aria to restore my body. I hurried here as fast as I can to stop the ceremony, planned by that traitorous queen!"

The King pointed a finger at the Queen. "Guards! Seize her! And in her stead, I now appoint Lady Brandi, now to be known as Queen!"

King Tipton's 5th wife walked shyly to her husband's side. Taking the ring he removed from his former queen, he placed it on Brandi's finger and the crowd applauded. "Long live Queen Brandi! Long live Queen Brandi!"

London tapped her father's shoulder. "Daddy, this is nice and all…but shouldn't the attention be directed on…_me?_"

King Tipton laughed. "Of course my daughter. You and Madeline take your place at the altar. I shall officiate your marriage with all due haste."

London smiled and grasped Maddie's hands. Maddie smiled back and intertwined her fingers around London's.

King Tipton solemnly began the wedding vows.

"Princess London, will you have Madeline to be your companion; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?"

London grinned, and responded,_ "_I will."

King Tipton then continued on.

"Cavalier Madeline, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?"

Maddie nods, and answered,_ "_I will."

King Tipton turns and faces the congregation, concluding the vow._ "_Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?"

The congregation responded,_ "_We will, Your Highness."

King Tipton nodded at the happy couple, and said, "Well, Madeline, you know what to do."

The congregation chuckled silently as Maddie lifted London's bridal veil over her head.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time…" London whispered, "I want it to be perfect."

"And perfect it shall be, your highness." Maddie beamed, inching closer to London's lips for their first real kiss. Inch by inch, the gap was closing, slowly…

…until everything went black.

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Startled, Maddie and London found that they were able to slip off their helmets. They found themselves back in London's suite, as if nothing happened.

"Wha—what happened?" Maddie asked, bewildered, "How was the VR turned off?"

"_Arf! Arf!_" Ivana, London's dog barked, tossing and turning on the floor.

London grinned as she untangled her dog from a pile of cords. "I think Ivana kind of helped us out, Maddie. Look, she tripped over the cord connecting the VR game to the wall."

Maddie joined London's laughter, and after a few minutes, they stopped, looking quite embarrassed of each other. London first broke the silence, and said, "Well…I'm glad we got stuck there…otherwise…"

"…we never would have realized our true feelings for each other?" Maddie offered.

"Yeah…" London nodded. "…that."

"So…did you really love me since the game started?" Maddie asked.

"Well…not as a lover…but as I realized the true lengths you'd go for me in that game, something stirred deep down within me." London confessed. "I really, really love you, Maddie."

"I do too, princess. By the way, I guess that it was really a good thing that we spent our in the VR. You actually sound smarter." Maddie joked.

"Hah! Maybe now I'll beat you in class!" London replied playfully.

"Don't count on it, London!" Maddie said.

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**Epilogue:**

London accompanied Maddie down to the lobby, where she would resume her shift. Oddly, they noticed that the "game" lasted for less than an hour.

"At least Sir…I mean, _Mr. _Moseby's not going to have my head!" Maddie stated.

"Yeah…I know! There'd be nothing to kiss if you had no more lips!" London laughed. Maddie joined in, knowing that it was pointless trying to explain to the heiress that you couldn't live without a head. As they were walking down the stairs hand-in-hand, Zack approached them.

"Hey London! Look what I found, a red diamond! It was in my pocket, and I swear I didn't steal it! Might it be yours?"

Maddie and London exchanged a startled look, and London replied, "Well, Zack, it's OK. You keep it! Think of it as…a payment. It pales in comparison to the real diamond."

Zack looked at them queerly. Maddie and London were now exchanging googly-eyes, and he shrugged carelessly. "OK, if you mean it. It's your loss!"

The two girls waited until he was out of sight. Then Maddie pulled London in for their first real non-Virtual kiss. London closed her eyes and savored the moment, thanking the stars that her feelings for Maddie were finally requited.

* * *

_**End Notes: **__And this about wraps up "It's Just A Game!"After 4 months and 17 chapters, it's finally done! This indeed brushed up some skills of mine, and I'm really grateful to my readers and reviewers! An especially hearty thanks to __**KittySquyres**__, __**Lodylodylody**__, and __**ALICE, IT'S RAINing, **__whose frequent reviews and feedback encouraged me to go on! _

_See you all in the upcoming sequel, __**8 Obstacles**__! Until then! _

_**MidnightStriker **_


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